UNION OF INDIA                      Petitioner(s)                  VERSUS STATE OF GUJARAT & ORS.  Respondent(s)    Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No(s).8519/2006 (From the judgement and order dated 02/05/2006 in  SCA No.9686 of 2006 of the HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT  AHMEDABAD)

Date: 29/09/2009      JUSTICE DALVEER BHANDARI DR.JUSTICE MUKUNDAKAM  SHARMA JJ                          O R D E R

On 25th March, 2008, this Court took note of a  newspaper  item  published  in  Times  of  India,  Ahmedabad Edition, and passed the following order:

"Taking note of the fact in a news item published  in 'The Times of India', Ahemdabad Edition, dated  May 2, 2006 to the effect that 1200 temples and 260 Islamic shrines had encroached  on  public  space,  the  High  Court  of  Gujarat  at  Ahmedabad, while taking suo motu action,   issued    notice  to   the   fourteen  persons/authorities    who  were   arrayed   as  respondents. While doing so, the High Court gave the following interim direction:

'Meanwhile,  all  the  respondents  are  directed  to  take immediate steps for removal of encroachment of  religious structures on the public space without  any discrimination and submit their reports.'

Mr.  Gopal   Subramanium,   learned ASG appearing  for the Union of India contends that this interim  direction is in the nature of final direction which  could be issued only after hearing the respondents  and  no  such  direction  could  be  issued  at  a  preliminary stage without hearing the respondents.

This  Court,  while  issuing  notice  on  the  special  leave petition on 04th May, 2006 had stayed the  operation of the impugned order.

Learned  ASG  states  that  the  Central  Government  after  convening  a  meeting  of  all  the  concerned  Secretaries of the respective States would try to take a consensual decision to deal  with the problems such as in the present case all  over the country and seeks time for this purpose."

The   matter   again   came   up   before   this  Court    on 31.7.2009  when  this  Court  passed  the  following  order:

"Mr.     Gopal   Subramanium,    learned Solicitor  General appearing for the Union of India submits  that  the  entire  matter  is  being  carefully  scrutinized at the highest level and a consensus is  being built up among all the States.

Learned  Solicitor  General  would  also  take  instructions and file an affidavit that henceforth

no  church,  mosque  or  gurdwara  etc.  shall  be  permitted on the public street/public space.

Let  this  affidavit  be  filed  by  a  senior  officer,preferably   a    Secretary   to    the  Government of India within eight weeks."

Learned   Solicitor     General    has   brought  to     our notice  a  letter  dated  19  September,  2009/23  September, 2009 of the Home Secretary, addressed to  the  learned  Solicitor  General  of  India.  The  relevant portion of the letter reads as under:

"I had taken a meeting with the Chief Secretaries  of the States on 17.09.2009 with a view to evolve  consensus on the problem of encroachment of public  spaces by religious structures. I am glad to report  that  after  the  meeting,  the  following  consensus  emerged:-

(i) No unauthorized construction of any religious  institution   namely,   temple, church, mosque or  gurudwara,  etc.  shall  be  permitted  on  public  street/public space.

(ii)     In     respect    of     unauthorized  constructions  of  any  religious  nature  which  has  taken  place  in  the  past,  the  State  Governments  would review the same on a case by case basis and  take appropriate  steps.  This  will  be  done  as  expeditiously as possible."

We have heard the learned counsel for the parties.  Looking  to  the  far-reaching  implications  and

consequences of the orders of this Court, on the  oral request of the learned Solicitor General of  India,  we  deem        it  appropriate      to  implead          all    the    States      and  the    Union Territories as respondents to this  petition. The Registry is directed to issue notices to all the States and  the Union Territories within three days. The Union  of India is directed to supply the entire set of  papers to all the Standing Counsel appearing for  the State Governments and the Union Territories.  The    States        and   the       Union  Territories         may    file replies     within  four       weeks       and the     Union of  India is granted     liberty        to    file  rejoinder       within     two    weeks thereafter.

As an interim measure, we direct that henceforth no  unauthorized       construction  shall     be  carried       out    or permitted     in     the  name of     Temple, Church,    Mosque or Gurudwara  etc.  on  public  streets,  public  parks  or  other  public places etc.

In    respect       of     the    unauthorized  construction         of religious nature which has  already taken place, the State Governments and the  Union Territories shall review the same on case to  case  basis  and  take  appropriate  steps  as  expeditiously as possible.

In order to ensure compliance of our directions, we  direct         all the District Collectors and  Magistrates/Deputy         Commissioners in charge  of  the  Districts  to  ensure  that  there  is  total  compliance  of  the  order  passed  by  us.  They  are  directed to submit a report within four weeks to

the  concerned  Chief  Secretaries  or  the  Administrators of the Union Territories who in turn  will send a report to this Court within eight weeks  from today.

List   this   matter   for   further   directions  on    7th December, 2009.

(A.S.  BISHT)  (NEERU BALA VIJ) COURT  MASTER  COURT MASTER