SC directs states to prevent encroachment in the name of religion

The Supreme Court directed the states to prepare a comprehensive policy within eight weeks to prevent the encroachment of public land in the name of religion through construction of religious structures.

A bench headed by Justice Dalveer Bhandari also directed the states to tell the Supreme Court, what can be done to the existing encroachment, whether these religious structures can be regularised or not.

All the state governments had filed status report in the apex court giving details of encroachment in the name of religion.

During the hearing of the appeal by the Union government against the order of Gujarat High Court, which had stayed the demolition of religious structures in Ahmedabad on public land, the apex court had directed the Centre and all the states not to permit the construction of religious structures by criminals and anti-social elements on government land.