Shahnawaz Alam Urges CJI to Act Against Judge for Accepting Unlawful Plea on Jama Masjid Sambhal

Shahnawaz Alam criticizes Sambhal court’s decision to accept a plea declaring Jama Masjid a temple, citing a violation of the Places of Worship Act. He urges the CJI to take action against the judge to uphold judicial integrity.

Lucknow: Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, Shahnawaz Alam, has criticized the Sambhal district court’s decision to accept a petition claiming the historic Jama Masjid as a temple, calling it a violation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. He urged the Chief Justice of India to take action against the judge who accepted the petition.

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In a press release issued from the Congress headquarters, Alam emphasized that the Places of Worship Act explicitly states that the religious character of any place of worship as of August 15, 1947, shall remain unchanged. It also prohibits any court, tribunal, or authority from accepting pleas or appeals that challenge this provision.

Alam questioned how the Sambhal district court could accept such a petition when the law explicitly disallows it. He termed the act unconstitutional and urged the Supreme Court to take strict disciplinary action against judges issuing illegal directives. Failure to act, he warned, would send a message that even under the current Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, the judiciary might support the unconstitutional agendas of the RSS and BJP, as was alleged during the tenure of former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud. Such perceptions, Alam cautioned, could damage public trust in the judiciary.