NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Union government further time till December 12 to clarify its stand on plea challenging validity of 1991 law mandating maintaining character of religious places as prevailed on August 15, 1947.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and J B Pardiwala, which took up the matter for the first time, allowed a plea by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for more time to file an affidavit.
Mehta said the matter was being deliberated at the highest level and it required further time for the purpose.
The Centre's reply in the matter is awaited since March, 2021.
On October 12, Mehta had told the Supreme Court that the 2019 Ayodhya case judgement by a five-judge Constitution bench does not cover the questions related to validity of the Protection of Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing of petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay had said the 1991 Act was passed without much of debate or discussions in Parliament and issues involved here related to questions of vital national importance and must be decided by the court.
On Monday, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind and All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which had opposed the challenge to the validity of law, once again contended that their stand to the petitions would depend upon the reply filed by the Union government.
The petitioners side, also led by senior advocate Aman Sinha, had earlier framed questions for deliberation by the top court.
The court fixed the matter for hearing in first week of January.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who also filed his own separate plea, reiterated his submission that Kashi and Mathura temples can be added to the law which kept Ayodhya dispute outside its purview.
