New Delhi, February 17 (HS): The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of the case related to the Places of Worship Act. The bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna has postponed the hearing for the first week of April. The Supreme Court had issued a notice on March 12, 2021 on the petition filed in the case, but the central government has not yet filed a reply.

Congress, CPM and Samajwadi Party have filed a petition in support of the Worship Act. The petition of Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan states that this Act is in accordance with the secular structure of the country. Any change in it will not be good for social harmony. Defending the Places of Worship Act, the petition filed through Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal states that this law is necessary to protect secularism in India. Congress has said in its petition that any change in this Act can endanger communal harmony and secular fabric. The petition states that this Act was conceived before 1991 and if it is removed, the sovereignty and integrity of the nation may be in danger.

Apart from this, political parties Indian Union Muslim League, NCP Sharad Pawar faction MLA Jitendra Awhad, RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, MP Thol Thirumavalavan, as well as Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque Management Committee and Mathura's Shahi Idgah Mosque Management Committee have filed intervention petitions in the Supreme Court and supported the Places of Worship Act. Challenging the Places of Worship Act, Kashi Naresh Vibhuti Narayan Singh's daughter Kumari Krishna Priya, lawyer Karunesh Kumar Shukla, retired Colonel Anil Kabotra, Mathura's religious leader Devkinandan Thakur, lawyer Rudra Vikram Singh and Varanasi's Swami Jitendranand have filed petitions.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar