Cong objects private member's bill seeking repeal of Places of Worship Act

The Congress has strongly objected to the introduction in the Rajya Sabha of a private member's bill which seeks to repeal the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Repeal Bill, 2022 was listed for introduction in the Upper House of Parliament on Friday by BJP member Harnath Singh Yadav.

The bill could not be taken up as the House was adjourned for the day following an uproar by Opposition members over the Adani issue.

Congress MP Naseer Hussain gave a notice to the Rajya Sabha secretariat objecting to the introduction of the bill.

In his notice, Hussain said he objects to the bill as it tends to adversely disturb the social fabric, shared living and age-old brotherhood of our society and create communal disharmony.

"This bill is unconstitutional as it affects the secular nature of our Constitution striking at the very roots of basic structure doctrine," he said.

The Congress member said the enactment of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act laid to rest various issues relating to places of worship.

"Therefore, the collective wisdom of this very Parliament needs to be respected," he said, adding past issues with the potential of creating chaos with the assimilative culture and traditions of society need not be raked up.

Hussain said the Act has already been challenged through a writ petition in the Supreme Court and, hence, this issue is sub-judice.

"Therefore, any discussion pertaining to this matter will only hamper the judicial proceedings. It has always been the time honoured convention of Parliament to respect the judiciary and not to as such take up matters which are under consideration of courts of law," Hussain said in his notice.

The Act prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.