The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions challenging the validity of certain provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits lawsuits to reclaim a place of worship or change its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947. The pleas, including one filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, argue that these provisions violate the right to judicial remedy and create an arbitrary cut-off date. The matter will be heard in the backdrop of several ongoing cases related to places of worship, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura. The Muslim side has cited the 1991 law to argue that such suits are not maintainable. The Supreme Court had previously sought the Centre's response to Upadhyay's petition, which alleged that the law creates an "arbitrary and irrational retrospective cut-off date" for maintaining the character of places of worship.
Defying the fatwa issued by the Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind against the rendition of Vande Mataram, a group of Muslims, led by a clergyman, joined people from other communities in singing the national song in front of a mosque in Betul. A large number of people from a cross-section of the society collected in front of the Jama Masjid at Betul Bazar at the invitation of its Imam Hafiz Abdul Razique and recited the song on Sunday.
If you lived in India, you would think these Congress leaders live in some city called 'Bohemia'. For, Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar has a hearty meal for Rs 12, and Rasheed Masood lives just fine on Rs 5.
"If somebody sings Vande Mataram voluntarily, I have no objections. But if people are forced to do so, it will meet with resistance," Bukhari said.
After director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra wowed us with Rang De Basanti two years ago, he's back with Delhi-6, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor.
President Kalam met the young finalists of the talent show.
A local court in Ajmer has issued notices to the dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India on a plea seeking to declare the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti a temple. The petition, filed in September, has sparked a heated debate, with politicians and community leaders weighing in on the potentially volatile issue. The dargah committee has declined to comment, but the Anjuman Syed Zadgan, a body representing the caretakers of the dargah, described the petition as a deliberate attempt to fracture society along communal lines. The petition comes just days after four people were killed in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a local court ordering survey of a Mughal-era shrine. The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which fixed August 15, 1947, as the cut-off date for status quo on the character of religious places, is at the centre of much of the debate. Several politicians, including Union minister Giriraj Singh and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, have weighed in on the issue. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called the civil court's decision to entertain the petition unwarranted and has asked the Supreme Court to immediately intervene.
'We are not part of the Indian sub-continent. We are more like Central Asia than South Asia. I don't know how we got stuck with South Asia.'
The former head of Delhi's Jama Masjid was in Ajmer to visit the memorial to Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.
Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari asked Muslims to stop supporting the so-called secular parties and form a separate party to protect the interests of the community.
Imam Bukhari alleged that a number of Muslims hold important posts in various states and union governments and even the prestigious post of the President but had done nothing for the uplift of the community.
Will Hindus not vote for a Muslim candidate? Is that why such few Muslims are given tickets? Two constituencies in Mumbai break prevalent stereotypes about these difficult questions.
Syed Ahmed Bukhari, whose status as Imam of Jama Masjid was questioned by the Delhi Wakf Board, was on Thursday directed by the Delhi High Court to submit a statement of accounts of the last 30 years to the Board.
A delegation of Muslim leaders led by Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari met Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi during which she asked them to ensure that secular votes did not split in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Slamming Congress president Sonia Gandhi's meeting with Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid to prevent split in secular votes, Shiv Sena on Thursday said it was akin to "fox and wolf" discussing non-violence and vegetarianism.
The use of henna as hair dye may be waning as western tastes sweep through the malls and markets of urban India, but it is far from dead in towns and villages.
The delectable fast-breaking meals or Iftars are becoming more innovative as ever and the spreads more lavish.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar also indicated that it may not take up the pending scheduled petitions, heard earlier by a three-judge bench, during the day as it was sitting in a combination of two judges.
Two damaged idols were found inside the well of the Bhasma Shankar temple in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was reopened last week after being shut for 46 years. The temple, which houses an idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling, was reopened on December 13 after authorities stumbled upon the covered structure during an anti-encroachment drive. The idols, a Lakshmi idol and a Parvati idol, were found in the well, which authorities had planned to reopen. The district administration has written to the Archaeological Survey of India for carbon dating of the temple, including the well.
Route inspection for Kanwar Yatra and peace meetings with Hindu and Muslim community members came on instructions of police commissioner Alok Singh, according to a police statement
'Do you see even a single woman offering Namaz?'
When the Union government had launched the Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana with much fanfare years ago, they could not have imagined in their wildest nightmares that one day, the welfare scheme will be used by terrorists to carry out their subversive schemes.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged a 'well-planned' conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, where a team of Congress MPs led by Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit on December 4 amid restrictions imposed by the district administration.
Aazad may visit Delhi for medical reasons and election purposes. The court had earlier restrained him from visiting Delhi for four weeks and directed him to not hold any 'dharna' till the elections in the national capital.
An FIR has been lodged against 10 named and 200 unidentified individuals in connection with a clash and stone-pelting incident during a religious procession in Jharkhand's Hazaribag. The clash, involving two communities, broke out over the playing of an objectionable song. Police fired two rounds into the air to control the situation. The incident led to uproarious scenes in the Jharkhand Assembly with BJP MLAs demanding action against the perpetrators.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi along with the five other Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh will visit violence-hit Sambhal on Wednesday, party's state unit chief Ajay Rai said.
Two days after violence broke out during a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, life is gradually returning to normal with schools reopening and shops resuming operations. Internet services remain suspended and authorities continue to monitor the situation closely with restrictions in place on entry of outsiders and public representatives. The area around the Shahi Jama Masjid remains deserted, while the police investigate the violence and make arrests.
A police officer in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has sparked outrage after suggesting that those uncomfortable with Holi colors should remain indoors, drawing criticism from opposition parties who accused him of bias and demanded action. The officer's remarks came during a peace committee meeting ahead of Holi, which coincides with Friday prayers during Ramzan. Opposition leaders condemned the statements, calling them "condemnable" and accusing the officer of acting as a "BJP agent." They demanded action against him for his "political statement." The incident comes after violence erupted in Sambhal last year during protests against a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque.
Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of holy month of Ramzan, is being celebrated across the world on Monday with fervour and gaiety.
Here are glimpses of the celebrations!
The Bhiwandi police had registered a case against Sharma following a complaint lodged by a representative of the Raza Academy on May 30, he said.
'Unless Justice Chandrachud's judgment is (over)turned, there is no end to it.'
An unspecified number of terrorists fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid.
Jama Masjid in Hyderpora area has turned into a major relief centre for those affected by the devastating floods in the Kashmir valley, housing hundreds of people, including women and children.
Political parties, cutting across affiliations and ideologies, Friday welcomed the Kashmir rail link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping for a boost in trade and tourism in the valley.
Spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan on Saturday requested political and non-political groups in the country to avoid holding public Roza iftar parties in view of the recent Uttarakhand tragedy.
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