Supreme court if worship act applies to Shahi idgah.

As of April 5, 2025, the Supreme Court of India has not issued a definitive ruling on whether the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, applies to the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura. However, recent developments indicate ongoing legal proceedings concerning this matter.

On April 4, 2025, the Supreme Court sought responses from Hindu petitioners regarding an appeal filed by the Muslim side. This appeal challenges an Allahabad High Court order that allowed the Hindu side to amend their suit in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute and to include the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as a party, asserting that the structure is a protected monument.

The Allahabad High Court had previously dismissed the Muslim side’s argument that the suits filed by Hindu litigants violated the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which prohibits altering the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.

Additionally, the Supreme Court has been addressing multiple petitions challenging the validity of certain provisions of the Places of Worship Act. In December 2024, the Court ruled that no new temple-mosque legal battles should proceed until it reviews the 1991 law affecting the status of religious sites.

Therefore, while the Supreme Court has not yet made a conclusive determination regarding the application of the Places of Worship Act to the Shahi Idgah mosque, it is actively engaged in related legal proceedings that could influence the outcome.