NE LEGAL BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JUNE 20
The Gujarat High Court on Saturday ordered stay on holding of annual Rath Yatra procession in Ahmedabad scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, in the name of Lord Jagannath on coronavirus concerns.
A division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala stayed all secular and religious activities related to the Rath Yatra, after taking into consideration submissions made by a petitioner and respondents as well as the recent Supreme Court’s order staying the Puri’s Rath Yatra in Odisha.
The HC stayed the procession in view of the prevailing situation arising out of the coronavirus after the state government informed that the yatra covers route of around 18 km and approximately 7-8 lakh people will participate in it.
The High Court also directed the state Home Department, Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police, and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to explain why there was a long delay in granting or denying permission for the Rath Yatra and consequent uncertainty over this year’s religious procession.
All the stakeholders have been asked to file their responses by the next date of hearing – July 6. They were also asked to bring along all applications for permission for the Rath Yatra.
The High Court said that the way apex court had stayed the Odisha Rath Yatra, it was advisable not to hold any such religious procession anywhere in the state as well.
The division bench was hearing online an urgent matter of two PILs filed by Ahmedabad citizens, who prayed that if the Rath Yatra was allowed the corona outbreak would cause the dangerous spread of corona infections.
The PILs cited corona figures of hotspot Ahmedabad, with over 18,000 positive cases and over 13,000 deaths.
The PILs mentioned that the Rath Yatra route had many micro containment zones, where it was impossible to maintain social distancing in view of narrow lanes.
Ahmedabad’s Jagannath temple authorities were making preparations to hold the 143rd religious procession on June 23 but the state had not taken a clear stand on whether to grant or deny permission.
The temple trustees had even invited Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for ”Pahind”, a ritualistic flagging off of the procession.
It will be the first time in 143 years of the Rath Yatra history that the procession won’t be allowed to be held.
