After Owaisi, Chidambaram cites 1991 Act; says ‘places of worship shouldn’t be changed’

New Delhi: Amid the raging row over videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said that the status & character of places of worship should not be changed as it has the potential to generate big communal conflict.

“The Places of Worship Act was passed by Narasimha Rao government with only exception to the Ram Janma Bhoomi complex. All other places of worship should remain in status as they were earlier. No attempt should be made to change the status of any place of worship as it would lead to huge conflict,”Chidambaram told press.

Congress leader’s remarks comes a day after the Supreme Court refused to put a stay to the inspection & videography of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

Chidambaram calls for restraint on religious places

Chidambaram said that Places of worship Act was passed after much deliberations and therefore any kind of religious fanaticism must be discouraged to prevent any strife or trouble.

The Places of Worship Act 1991 was first cited by Asaduddin Owaisi to counter Gyanvapi conflict verdict. The AIMIM leader said that the judgement was in stark contrast to 1991 Act. He termed the court order as a ‘blatant violation’ of the Act and also said that he didn’t want to lose a masjid after Babri.

He also exhorted the Yogi govt to lodge a case against those people who want to change the nature of religious places.

According to the Act, “no person shall convert any place of worship of any religious denomination or any section thereof into a place of worship of a different section of the same religious denomination or of a different religious denomination of any section thereof.”