New Delhi (NVI): The Supreme Court today gave a go-ahead to the Odisha Government to make necessary arrangements to conduct the Puri’s Rath Yatra from June 23, while keeping in view the necessary protocols in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the interest of public health and safety of citizens in view of possible spread of coronavirus, the three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, decided in favour of modifying its June 18 verdict, restraining the state government from holding Rath Yatra this year across Odisha.
The apex court said it would leave it to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and the Odisha government to conduct Rath Yatra “in a very restricted manner without allowing devotees congregation” after the state government assured it would coordinate with the Centre to organise the festival.
The Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, strongly argued in favour of conducting Rath Yatra in Puri. The Odisha government, which had on June 18 not supported holding of Rath Yatra as it apprehended spread of coronavirus, too, filed an affidavit supporting organising the event in Puri. Its counsel Harish Salve assured the court that the state government will act responsibly and contain the spread. “If cases rise, it will reflect badly on us. We will take care of it,” Salve told the court.
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.
जय जगन्नाथ!— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 22, 2020
Last evening, the Odisha government said it will take “favourable action” when the Supreme Court (SC) takes up hearing of petitions seeking modification of its order stopping Rath Yatra in Puri scheduled on June 23. “The state government will take favourable action as legally permissible on the request of the Gajapati Maharaj when the writ petition W.P.(C) No. 571 of 2020 is taken up for hearing before the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” the Law department had said in a press release.
On Saturday, the Gajapati Maharaj, in a letter, requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take steps to allow Rath Yatra in without any congregation of the general public and with the state government taking appropriate steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
-ARK
