Addressing the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav on Monday demanded repeal of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, that mandates maintaining the character of every place of worship as it was in 1947, with Ayodhya being the sole exception.

“The Places of Worship Act is completely illogical and unconstitutional. It takes away the religious rights of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains under the Constitution. It is also hurting communal harmony in the country. Therefore, I urge the government to immediately repeal this law in the interest of the nation,” he said.

Yadav claimed that the law, with what he saw as an arbitrary cut-off date, violates the right to equality and freedom of religion as guaranteed in the Constitution.

The statement comes at a time when Hindu worship has begun in a cellar of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque, and there are petitions for the handing over of the mosque, as well as the Shahi Idgah in Mathura, to Hindus. A recent Archaeological Survey of India report has said that there existed a Hindu temple where the Gyanvapi now stands.

The RSS and BJP have been largely silent on the issue, with sources in both saying that the courts will resolve the matter and there was no plan for any movement on either of them.

Speaking to The Indian Express later, Yadav, a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, said that he had not spoken or written to the party about the matter.

“When this Act was brought in 1991, the BJP had opposed it strongly. Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj opposed it. So, it is clear the party is against it. The PM said yesterday at an event that those people who stayed in power for long could not understand the importance of religious places and created an atmosphere where people are ashamed of their own culture for narrow political ends. He also said that no nation can progress by forgetting its past and getting disconnected from its roots. So, against this slave mentality, and against constant attempts at driving a wedge between Hindus and Muslims, I raised this in the Zero Hour, as time is now ripe in Amrit Kaal, when Modiji is in power, to move towards this change,” Yadav said.

“I also appeal to Muslim brothers that Ram and Krishna were their ancestors too, that they should respect and revere them. So, in the interest of national unity, which the Congress tried to disrupt, they should now willingly offer these sites to Hindus. Since the Congress came to power, they made many laws that drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims to get votes and to humiliate Hindus. Through this Act, they gave the stamp of official sanction to temples that were demolished by invaders.”

Asked whether demolishing a mosque now on the grounds that there once existed a temple at the site would not violate the religious freedom of those Muslims who offer namaz in that mosque, Yadav said, “The BJP under Modi ji thinks about 140 crore Indians and is working to uplift them without discrimination. Muslim leaders never think about unemployment or poverty of Muslims. They just want to excite passions. That is why I appeal to common Muslims to hand over these sites to Hindus.”

Last year too, Yadav had given notice to introduce a Private Member’s Bill on the matter in the Rajya Sabha, but was absent when his name was called.

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