Immediately abolish 1991 Places of Worship Act: BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav in RS

New Delhi: BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav on Monday demanded the immediate abolition of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, alleging the law impinges on the religious rights of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists provided under the Constitution.

During the Zero Hour mention in Rajya Sabha, he also claimed the law is harming communal harmony in the country.

"Places of Worship Act is completely illogical and unconstitutional. It takes away the religious rights of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains under the Constitution.

"It is also damaging communal harmony in the country. Therefore, I urge the government to immediately repeal this law in the interest of the nation," the senior BJP leader said.

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

This law, Yadav contended, violates the principles of equality and secularism provided in the Constitution. He also pointed out that the law prohibits judicial review.

The BJP MP's demand comes in the backdrop of the ongoing legal tussle involving the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi and the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah suit in Mathura where the Hindu sides have claimed that existing mosques have been built on Hindu temples and have demanded their restoration.

"This law also stipulates an illogical cut-off date. This affects the religious rights of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Bodhs," Yadav added.

The BJP MP also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that those who remained for long in power after Independence could not understand the significance of places of worship and set a trend of being ashamed of their own culture for political reasons.