Ayodhya judgment should be read in courts to prevent claims against mosques: Justice Nariman
New Delhi: Justice Rohinton Nariman, former Supreme Court judge, has urged that the five pages of the Supreme Court's Ayodhya judgment affirming the Places of Worship Act, 1991, be read in every District Court and High Court across India. He stated that this would prevent frivolous suits against mosques and other religious structures.
Speaking at the inaugural lecture of the Ahmadi Foundation, established in memory of former Chief Justice of India Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi, Justice Nariman described the Ayodhya verdict as a "travesty of justice to secularism." However, he identified the segment upholding the 1991 Act as a "silver lining."
"The Constitution Bench spends five pages on the Places of Worship Act and declares it to be sound in secularism, which is part of the basic structure of our Constitution. You cannot look backward; you have to look forward," Justice Nariman emphasised.
These five pages, he suggested, could serve as a critical tool to address the rising number of cases targeting mosques and shrines across the country.
Since 2019, numerous civil suits have been filed, particularly in northern India, demanding the restoration of temples allegedly destroyed in the past to build mosques. A recent example is the Sambhal Jamia Masjid case, where a civil court ordered a survey based on claims that a temple once stood on the mosque's site.
The 1991 Act prohibits the conversion of any place of worship and maintains the religious character of sites as they existed on August 15, 1947. It is currently under challenge in the Supreme Court. Justice Nariman referred to the Constitution Bench's Ayodhya judgment, which hailed the Act as "a legislative instrument designed to protect secular values."
"The law imposes a non-derogable obligation to uphold our constitutional commitment to secularism," the Supreme Court had observed in its 2019 ruling.
Justice Nariman reiterated the importance of the Act, stating, "It freezes the places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947. To prevent further claims, the law must be implemented as outlined in the judgment."
He added, "We see hydra heads popping up all over the country with suit after suit concerning mosques and shrines. The only way to cauterise this is by applying those five pages of the Ayodhya judgment in courts nationwide."
He further remarked on the quid pro quo judicial appointments, commenting on the case of the judge who acquitted all accused in the Babri Masjid demolition criminal conspiracy case, saying, "That judge was appointed as the UP Lokayukta after retirement. That is the 'state of affairs' in the country.”
The lecture was part of the Ahmadi Foundation’s inaugural event, where a biography titled The Fearless Judge, chronicling Justice Ahmadi's life, was also released.
Justice Nariman concluded by expressing confidence that proper implementation of the Places of Worship Act would curtail unnecessary litigation and uphold secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
