Ex-CJI’s remarks on Places of Worship Act opened can of worms, says Cong

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, is in the news these days because of certain oral observations made in 2022 by then CJI DY Chandrachud that have since opened a “pandora’s box”. The Act prohibits changing the character of religious places from how they existed on August 15, 1947.

Ramesh recalled the Rajya Sabha debate on the Bill that subsequently became the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, on September 12, 1991. Citing the debate, Ramesh quoted Gandhi saying: “Those who have opposed this Bill have spoken about what they call necessary to right the wrongs of history.”

“The ringing lesson of the Mahabharata down the centuries is 'those who seek to right the wrongs of history with an attitude of revenge will only produce destruction,” the Congress leader added.