The Supreme Court’s ruling on the law will be crucial to the fate of dozens of religious structures, especially Muslim ones, that are contested by Hindu groups. This includes Gyanvapi and Shahi Eidga, two controversial mosques in the holy cities of Varanasi and Mathura.
Critics also point out that the historic nature of the sites will make it difficult to finalize the various demands, leaving room for violent inter-religious battles and violence.
While the hearings are closely watched, the law also makes news every time there is a new development in cases challenging mosques.
Two weeks ago, a court in Rajasthan issued a notice to the government after accepting a petition alleging that the revered Ajmer Sharif dargah – a 13th-century Sufi shrine that attracts thousands of visitors every day – stood over a Hindu temple.
And last month there were four people killed in Sambal, Uttar Pradesh, when violence erupted during a court-ordered inspection of a 16th-century mosque. Muslim groups challenged the poll in the Supreme Court.
There has been tension in the past over other judicial surveys, including the Gyanwapi mosque case. Hindu groups claim that the 17th-century mosque was built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on the partial ruins of the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Muslim groups opposed the poll, ordered by a local court, saying it violated a 1991 law.
But in 2022, the Supreme Court was headed by the then Chief Justice D. D. Chandrahud did not prevent the survey. He also noted that the 1991 law does not preclude an inquiry into the status of a place of worship as of August 15, 1947, unless directed to change it.
It has since been criticized by many, with former civil servant Harsh Mander saying it “opened the floodgates for this series of court orders that are against the 1991 law”.
“If you allow a mosque to be surveyed to determine if there is a temple beneath it, but then prohibit any action to rebuild the temple on the site, that is a sure recipe for breeding resentment, hatred and fear that can fester into years of bitter enmity. between people of different faiths,” Mr. Mander wrote, external.
Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling means those investigations and ongoing court cases are on hold for the time being.
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