Asaduddin Owaisi urges PM Modi to ‘defend’ Places of Worship Act, says modern India can’t be a battleground

New Delhi: As Supreme Court hears petitions challenging the constitutionality of Places of Worship Act, 1991, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to “defend” the Act citing it upholds India's diversity.Taking to his official Twitter handle, he shared the letter he sent to PM Modi and said, “Wrote to @PMOIndia regarding Places of Worship Act, 1991. #SupremeCourt is hearing a challenge to its constitutionality & has sought Union govt's stand. SC had held that the Act enforced basic structure of the constitution. PM must defend the Act as it upholds India's diversity.”

In his letter, Owaisi asserted that it is a general duty of the executive to defend the constitutionality of any parliamentary legislation.Talking about the Places of Worship Act, he recalled it was enacted by Parliament to protect the character of places of worship as they stood on August 15, 1947. The primary purpose behind such a provision was to protect the diversity and pluralism of India, he said.

Asaduddin Owaisi further said, “The cut-off date of August 15, 1947, the date of India's independence was clearly intended by Parliament to ensure that independent India did not suffer from religious disputes that cause perpetual divisions in society.”

The AIMIM chief concluded the letter stressing that the Act represents the idea that one cannot endlessly litigate against history and that modern India cannot be the battleground of resolving medieval disputes. It also puts an end to unnecessary religious disputes and protects India's religious diversity.

“I urge you to defend the sanctity of this solemn legislation,” wrote the Hyderabad MP.