Mathura mosque urges SC to end Centre’s counter claim

New Delhi

The Committee of Management of Mathura’s Shahi Masjid Eidgah has filed a new application before the Supreme Court, urging the closure of the Centre’s right to submit its reply to petitions challenging the validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The mosque committee argued that the Union government has delayed filing its counter affidavit for over three years, despite a court order in December 2024 requiring it within four weeks.

The committee contended that this delay was intentional, aiming to obstruct the opposition’s ability to file their submissions, as the Centre’s response could influence their arguments. With a hearing scheduled for February 17, 2025, the committee requested that the Centre’s right to submit further replies be closed to ensure a fair hearing.

The petition challenging the 1991 Act, led by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, questions its constitutionality, particularly its restriction on lawsuits to reclaim or alter places of worship. The petitioners argue that the Act infringes upon the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs, by preventing them from restoring places of worship destroyed by invaders.

The Shahi Masjid Eidgah committee is involved in several lawsuits in the Allahabad High Court, where plaintiffs claim the land under the mosque belongs to Krishna Janam Sthan and seek its removal. The committee seeks to intervene in the Supreme Court case to assist in addressing the legal challenges surrounding the Act.