IndiaThe Allahabad High Court ruled that the Places of Worship Act does not prohibit the state from acquiring religious sites for public purposes, such as infrastructure development. The court dismissed a petition from six shopkeepers and tenants in Varanasi’s Dalmandi area who opposed a road widening project linked to the Uttar Pradesh government’s Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor. The petitioners argued that the six mosques in the area, established before August 15, 1947, were protected under the Act and that the project would harm their livelihoods and religious spaces. The court clarified that while the Act prevents the conversion of religious sites between faiths, it allows the state to acquire such properties for secular and public purposes, provided the owners receive just compensation. The court also noted that the petitioners, being tenants rather than owners, lacked sufficient standing to challenge the acquisition and emphasized that waqf properties are managed by mutawallis and the Waqf Board.
Bias read (Center): The article presents the court's ruling without overt ideological slant, focusing on legal interpretation and factual arguments. While the issue involves religious property and governance, the framing remains balanced, emphasizing judicial reasoning over advocacy for any specific political stance.
