ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad high court held on Friday that the government can acquire land where religious prayers are held and convert it for the “benefit of the public at large“.However, the court, disposing of a writ petition filed by the Church of North India Trust Association, observed that the demolition of a church on Christmas Eve would be “too harsh“ and stayed its demolition for a month. It directed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to demolish or shift the church and graveyard after that period.The Church of North India Trust Association had challenged the acquisition of land belonging to the Memorial Church in Shikohabad district, where Christians hold prayers. There is a Christian graveyard adjacent to the church.The decision was given by a division bench comprising Justices V K Shukla and M C Tripathi after it had heard both sides. The petitioner's contention was that NHAI had acquired land to construct a six lane Agra-Etawah bypass on NH-2 and the land of the church had also been acquired during the exercise. However, The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Acts, 1991, prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of its religious character.The bench rejected this contention of the petitioner and was of the view that the said law put restrictions on conversion of a place of worship of one community or section into religious place of worship of another community.