The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing on multiple petitions concerning the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, to the first week of April. A bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar announced that a three-judge bench will hear the case.

Earlier in the day, the Court expressed frustration over the submission of numerous new pleas related to the validity of the Act, which mandates that the religious character of a place must remain as it was on August 15, 1947. The Chief Justice commented that the Court might not be able to address all these petitions, particularly a new plea raised by senior advocate Indira Jaising on behalf of a litigant, which was scheduled for hearing that day. He noted that an excessive number of interim applications had been filed, and it might not be possible to consider them all. A hearing date in March was suggested.

In a December 12, 2024, ruling, the Court had effectively halted the proceedings of about 18 cases filed by various Hindu parties requesting surveys of the original religious character of 10 mosques, including Gyanvapi in Varanasi, Shahi Idgah Masjid in Mathura, and Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, where recent clashes had led to fatalities. The petitions were set for an important hearing on February 17.

Since the December ruling, several new petitions have been submitted, including those from prominent political figures like AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party's Iqra Choudhary, and Congress, urging for the more effective enforcement of the 1991 Act.