Congress moves Supreme Court to defend Places of Worship Act

The Congress has filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court to oppose petitions challenging the 1991 Places of Worship Special Provisions Act, Bar and Bench reported on Thursday.

The move came in the public interest litigation filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay challenging the constitutional validity of the Act.

The Act prohibits altering the religious character of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947.

The Congress’ application says that the Act is crucial to protect secularism in India and argues that the challenge against it appeared to be a motivated attempt to undermine the country’s secular principles, Bar and Bench reported.

“The applicant seeks to intervene in this matter to emphasise the constitutional and societal significance of the POWA, as it apprehends that any alterations to it could jeopardise India’s communal harmony and secular fabric thereby threatening the sovereignty and integrity of the nation,” the Congress said in its application.

The Opposition party reiterated its commitment to secularism and stated that it played a key role in enacting the law when it, along with the Janata Dal, held a majority in the Lok Sabha.

The Congress contended that it must be allowed to intervene and defend the legal validity of the passage of the Act as it was, through its…

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