Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the entire nation is delighted by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Puri’s iconic Rath Yatra and leave the management of the festival to the Odisha government.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only understood the sentiments of devotees but also initiated consultations. The entire nation is delighted by the Supreme Court’s decision to ensure the Rath Yatra goes on,” Shah said after the top court’s judgment permitting the festival to take place.
Earlier, the home minister also spoke to Gajapati Maharaj and the Shankaracharya of Puri to know their views on the Rath Yatra.
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“Considering the urgency and importance of the matter, it was placed in front of a vacation bench of the Supreme Court and the hearing took place this afternoon, which paved the way for the important decision by the SC. Congratulations to the people of Odisha,” Shah tweeted soon after the hearing on the issue.
Four days after staying the historic and legendary Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra at Puri, the Supreme Court on Monday indicated it would allow the event, which is scheduled to start tomorrow, saying the court cannot ‘micro-manage’ the rituals and left it to the Odisha government, the Centre and the Lord Jagannath temple management to deal with the issue of social distancing and crowds of devotees..
{{/usCountry}}Four days after staying the historic and legendary Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra at Puri, the Supreme Court on Monday indicated it would allow the event, which is scheduled to start tomorrow, saying the court cannot ‘micro-manage’ the rituals and left it to the Odisha government, the Centre and the Lord Jagannath temple management to deal with the issue of social distancing and crowds of devotees..
{{/usCountry}}A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde was told by the Odisha government that it will coordinate with the temple management and the Centre to ensure that things run smoothly during the Rath Yatra.
The festival, held in the coastal state of Odisha is usually attended by lakhs of people from around the world. The court ordered the state government to ensure compliance with health protocols in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier, while hearing a PIL filed by NGO ‘Odisha Vikash Parishad’ the top court on June 18 had said that in the interest of public health and safety, this year’s Puri Rath Yatra cannot be allowed and that “Lord Jagannath won’t forgive us if we allow” it. A day after the order was passed; a few applications were filed in the top court seeking recall and modification of its order.
These applications, including those filed by the Jagannath Sanskruti Jana Jagarana Manch and BJP leader Sambit Patra, urged the apex court to allow the Rath Yatra with certain restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.