Three Applications filed in Supreme Court against the order banning Jaganath Yatra: claims traditions of Centuries May Not be Stopped
S.A.Anjum Sadiq
Seeking modification of June 18 orders of Supreme Court staying this year’s Jaganath Puri Rath Yatra, the Central Government today prayed that the annual event be held without public participation.
The matter was mentioned by the Centre before the Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra. The Court has agreed to hear the matter later today.
According to the June,18 Order of the Supreme Court “It is not disputed that there are likely to gather for the annual Rath Yatra Scheduled to be held from 23rd June 2020 is going to be about 10 to 12 lakhs.The festivities normally continues for a period of 10 to 12 days. Having regard to the danger presented by a large gathering of the people for Rath Yatra, we consider it appropriate for the interest of public health and safety of citizens who are devotees to restrain the respondents from holding the Rath Yatra this year. Article 25 of the Constitution of India itself confers the right to freely profess and propagate religion subject to health.We accordingly direct that there shal be no Rath Yatra anywhere in the Temple Town of Odisha or in any other part of the State this Year.
We further direct that there shall be no activities secular or religious associated with the Rath Yatra during this period.”
The petitioners contended that the above order can be recalled on the grounds that the Rath Yatra may be performed with the help of 500-600 servitors by following the guidelines, maintaining the social distance and with certain impositions and conditions.
The Centre and Odisha Government have sought permission from the Supreme Court to conduct Puri Jaganath Rath Yatra with pre cautions.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, mentioning the matter before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra.
“The tradition od centuries may not be stopped. It is a matter of faith for cerores if Lord Jaganath will not come out tomorrow, he cannot come for 12 years ad per traditions.”
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde Justice AS Bopanna, and Justice Maheshwari.
One of the intervention applications filed by the Jagannath Sanskrit Jana Jagrana Manch through Advocate Hitendra Nath Rath states that the Odisha Vikas Parishad didi not cite the Orissa High Court oreder of June 9 whereby the Court had not stayed the Rath yatra, instead leaving it to the state government to decide “whether or not to hold the rath yatra on June 23.
The other intervention application seeking a partial modification of the June 18 order was filed by Aftab Hossen, a resident of Puri. He stated before the Court that the letter dated May 7 by the Centre addressed to the Chief Secretary of the government of Odisha indicates that the state government sought permission from the Centre. Accordingly. Permission was also granted, subject to certain restrictions.
Among the other intervenors, Janardhan Pattajoshi Mohapatra, who is the hereditary chief servitor of Lord Jaganatha of the Jaganatha Temple at Puri, Odisha, also moved the Apex Court stating that the Rath Yatra has an “inbroken tradition” and is an “essential practice of the Jaganatha Temple”.
