Out of hundreds of acts, the Places of Worship Act, 1991, is the most talked-about act. Be it disputes involving Gyanvapi temple, Sambal’s HariHar temple dispute or Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi site dispute, the Places of Worship Act, 1991 comes at the forefront in order to hide the historical realities.
Once again, the 1991 Act is in the limelight and this time the act itself stands for scrutiny. The Supreme Court has been hearing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) challenging provisions of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which prohibits filing lawsuits to reclaim religious sites or change their character as they stood on August 15, 1947. In today’s hearing, the Supreme Court imposed a temporary ban stating that no new suit will be entertained in relation to the Places of Worship. Additionally, the apex court directed all lower courts to not examine cases related to the surveys of places of worship or pass any orders in such matters.
The petitioners argue that the Act infringes on fundamental rights under Articles 14 (Right to Equality) and 25 (Freedom of Religion) of the Indian Constitution and, the Act arbitrarily imposes a retrospective cut-off date of August 15, 1947, preventing legal challenges to encroachments or conversions of places of worship.
One of the prominent petitions, filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, challenges the validity of Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, asserting that these provisions unjustly deprive individuals and religious groups of their right to seek judicial remedies for reclaiming places of worship. The petitions against the Act also include challenges by former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy and others.
And in the opposition of the petitions and support of the draconian Places of Worship Act, 1991 stands representatives of the Islamo-Leftist cabal. The names in support of the Act include, Purushottam Agarwal, Balveer Arora, Rajeev Bhargava, Neeladri Bhattacharya, Naina Dayal, Pankaj Jha, Radha Kumar, Sucheta Mahajan, R. Mahalakshmi, Jaya Menon, Aditya Mukherjee, Mridula Mukherji, Harbans Mukhiya, Syed Nadeem Rezavi, Kanad Sinha, Romila Thapar and Supriya Varma.
Look at the list. Today in SC, not just Muslims alone but Hindu petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay is fighting fellow Hindus led by Romila Thapar et al who back the communal Places of Worship Act, 1991 that entrenched Muslim control over captured Hindu places of worship!
Remember more… pic.twitter.com/l24efPXBMO— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) December 12, 2024
The names may appear Hindu but their Hindu names are only a garb under which vile communist/Islamist hides. Shockingly, most of these names are “academicians” which is concerning for society. Also some of them were well connected to UPSC and have got a strong hold upon the system. The names also include the likes of Romilan Thapar, Jaya Menon and Supriya Varma who have been brazenly and vehemently against the crores of Hindu devotees’ right to reclaim the birthplace of their revered God, Shri Ram in Ayodhya.
Let us take a brief look upon these names-
Jaya Menon and Supriya Varma– The two Archaeologists Jaya Menon and Supriya Varma are known for their fake claims surrounding the excavation of the then-erstwhile disputed site in Ayodhya. The duo, who were observers on behalf of the Sunni Waqf Board during the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation in 2003, alleged that there was no evidence of a temple underneath the disputed structure. However, their blatant assertions were sharply contested, with the Allahabad High Court and independent findings raising doubts about their credibility.
Varma and Menon also questioned the ASI’s methodology, claiming it lacked transparency and was influenced by preconceived notions. They alleged that pillar bases discovered during the excavation were “planted” and that the ASI’s findings were flawed. Varma even argued that older mosques, not a temple, existed beneath the disputed structure.
However in its landmark 2010 judgment, the Allahabad High Court rejected the objections raised by Varma and Menon. The court observed that their statements were not backed by adequate fieldwork or credible research. Specifically, Justice Sudhir Agarwal noted that Varma had not read the ground-penetrating radar survey report that formed the basis for ordering the excavation.
The court highlighted the lack of expertise and rigor in their claims. Supriya Varma admitted during cross-examination that she had no substantial field experience. The court also found contradictions in the claims made by Varma and Menon. Both alleged procedural lapses and questioned the authenticity of the ASI’s findings but were not present during key phases of the excavation. The judges criticized their reliance on hearsay and unsupported conclusions, noting that they failed to offer concrete evidence to substantiate their allegations.
Romila Thapar– Romila Thapar without an iota of doubt is the tallest among all in the Islamo-Leftist circles. No ‘distorian‘ in India apart from DN Jha has made a mockery of history writing in India greater than Romila Thapar. For those unversed, Romila Thapar is a Professor of Ancient History, Emerita, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the den of the Ultra-leftist intellegentia. Romila Thapar was among many who claimed that no Ram Mandir was destroyed in the construction of the so-called Babri Masjid but all her lies crumbled at the Supreme Court.
Romila Thapar is notorious for distorting Indian history and for whitewashing the Islamic Iconoclasm in India. In her books, Romila Thapar has presented the invaders, ie, Mughals as some kind of a noble force that transformed India for better. Romila Thapar’s distortion of history is so abject that she does not shy away from mentioning that Yudhisthira’s desire to renounce the king’s crown, as depicted in the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, has been interpreted by some scholars as reflecting an influence of Ashoka’s ideals. It is suggested that Yudhisthira’s inclination to relinquish power and authority aligns with fundamental Buddhist principles, she said in one of the events. The likes of Romila Thapar has dominated the Indian textbooks and has successfully colonised the mind of many of the Indians. For distorians like her, Ashoka predates Yudhishthira.
The other people who came in support of the Places of Worship act are as follows-
Purushottam Agrawal– Purushottam Agrawal is one among the supporters of the 1991 Act is an Indian writer and former member of the Union Public Service Commission board.
Dr Balveer Arora– Dr. Balveer is Professor Emeritus and Chairman at the Centre for Multilevel Federalism of Institute of Social Sciences in New Delhi. He is also a visiting professor at Institut d’études politiques de Paris.
Rajeev Bhargava– Rajeev Bhargava is a political theorist who used to be the professor of political theory at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Rajeev Bhargav is the author of book ‘Political Theory: An Introduction’ which is marked as a guide book in the preparations for Civil Service examinations.
Neeladri Bhattacharya- Neeladri Bhattacharya is a retired professor who taught History to students at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi for forty-one years.
Naina Dayal- Naina Dayal is an assistant professor in the department of History at St. Stephen College, Delhi
Radha Kumar– Radha Kumar is an Indian feminist, academic and author. She is the Former Chair of the United Nations University Council. Previously, she was Director General of the Delhi Policy Group, the first independent think tank in India.
Sucheta Mahajan- Sucheta Mahajan is a Professor at the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU and Chairperson, P.C. Joshi Archives on Contemporary History, JNU. She is the co-author of the book ‘India’s struggle for Independence’ along with Historian Bipin Chandra which is termed as a bible in order to score good in Civil Service examination.
Mahalakshmi- R Mahalakshmi is the professor at Centre for Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
Mridula Mukherji- Mridula Mukherji is an ex-chairperson of the Centre for Historical Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and former director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
Harbans Mukhiya – Harbans Mukhiya is a former professor of Medieval History at the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi – Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi is Associate Professor at the Centre for Advanced Study in History at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.
Kanad Sinha- Kanad Sinha is an Assistant Professor of ancient Indian and world history at the Sanskrit College and University, Kolkata.
Looking at these names seems concerning. The state of Indian academia, particularly in the field of social sciences, is deeply troubling given the pervasive influence of Islamo-leftist ideologies. Many academics appear consumed by hatred, perpetuating narratives that vilify Hindu society. Their dominance over academic institutions and their control over the curriculum is alarming, as they actively shape young, impressionable minds with distorted history and anti-Hindu propaganda.
What’s more, their works are not just promoted but mandated in examinations like the UPSC, where aspirants have no choice but to study these biased narratives if they wish to succeed. These books, filled with manipulated facts and anti-Hindu rhetoric, are poisoning the intellectual landscape and eroding the cultural fabric of the nation. It is imperative for the Hindu community to reclaim the academic space and put an end to this systematic brainwashing, ensuring that future generations are not subjected to such divisive and prejudiced ideologies.
