NEW DELHI: After accusing BJP govt of “brazenly violating” the Places of Worship Act, 1991, Congress is set to join the case in Supreme Court by demanding that the 1991 law be adhered to strictly.
Supreme Court on December 12 ordered a stay on surveys ordered by various courts on pleas claiming that there were temples beneath Muslim religious structures. These have been contested by various bodies and individuals, in response to which the apex court ordered the stay. Congress MP and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi is appearing in these cases.
Sources said Congress will soon file an application, which is largely symbolic because the case is already in progress. It is still to be decided if the case will be filed in the name of the party or a senior office-bearer like AICC general secretary K C Venugopal will sign the application.
However, it will highlight the political stance of the party in view of the “chaos” wrought by recent developments. In the CWC meeting on Nov 29, party functionaries had slammed the “violation” of Places of Worship Act while accusing BJP of orchestrating applications in courts to keep polarisation on a boil. CWC also passed a resolution attacking BJP and the Modi govt on the issue.
Sources said after SC stay order, key Congress functionaries held a meeting with the brass, which included party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, where various aspects of the issue were discussed. A decision to implead in the case was also taken in the huddle.
During the recent Parliament session, there was also talk about the opposition INDIA bloc filing the case together, but now the parties seem to be going ahead individually. Also, Samajwadi Party made the police firing in UP’s Sambhal, where a survey of a mosque has been ordered, a key issue of protest in the Parliament.
