The Supreme Court’s interim order on the Places of Worship Act has significant implications for ongoing temple-mosque disputes across India. Civil courts are now prohibited from registering new suits or ordering surveys of contested religious sites until further notice.

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• The Supreme Court has directed civil courts to halt all new suits concerning disputed places of worship.
• Courts are also barred from ordering surveys of contested religious sites until further notice.
• The interim order will impact pending temple-mosque disputes in courts.
• The ruling is significant for high-profile cases like Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.
• Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid saw violent clashes in November 2023 after a court ordered a survey of the mosque.
• The survey was ordered following a petition claiming the mosque was built over the remains of a Hindu temple.
• The violence in Sambhal led to the deaths of six people after clashes with police.
• The Gyanvapi Mosque case involves a long-standing dispute over its location on the site of the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
• In 2021, five Hindu women petitioned the court for permission to offer prayers at the mosque.
• The Supreme Court’s order aims to maintain the status quo at disputed sites and prevent further escalation.