By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR/PURI: CJI Chief Justice of India (CJI) Shard Arvind Bobde is likely to live from Nagpur to head 3 Members Bench to hear Lord Jagannath Ratha Jatra issue.
“CJI himself will lead the bench. As CJI is in Nagpur, his home town. Video-conferencing facility is being installed at his residence now. Odisha and Centre will support RathYatra with restrictions of number of people, possible curfew for others & live telecast.Timing of hearing to become clear shortly , may by 2.30pm,” sources said.
“During the #RathYatra Hearing, #CJI sat in the virtual court from his home at #Nagpur.SG Tushar Mehta: We can finally have the chance to see the drawing room of my lord.#CJI: This house is very old though.Mehta: That’s the beauty of it .#CJI (laughs): May be..Thank you.#CJI says the matter will be heard at 2.30 PM. The bench sat just now onto for the purpose of allowing the listing of the matter urgently.SG Tushar Mehta for Centre, Sr adv Harish Salve is for #Odisha Govt,” they said.
The Centre also sought permission from the apex court for conduct of the festival. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Centre mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra and said the tradition of centuries may not be stopped.
If Lord Jagannath will not come out tomorrow, he cannot come out for 12 years as per traditions. While maintaining the precautions to ensure that pandemic is not spread, the Odisha Government can impose a curfew for a day, he said. He also suggested that the Ratha Jatra can be telecasted live. Senior Advocate Harish Salve appearing for the Odisha Government agreed with the Solicitor General. The Centre also sought modification of the apex court’s June 18 order which stayed the festival.
“All ‘sebayats’ and ‘pandas’ who have tested negative (for COVID-19) can participate in rituals as may be decided by HH Shri Shankaracharya. People may not congregate and seek blessings on TV during live telecast. Raja of Puri and the temple committee may supervise arrangements of these rituals,” Mehta told the bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra.
The Supreme Court will hear the four petitions seeking modification of its earlier order of June 18, which had stayed the historic annual ‘Rath Yatra’ in Puri and all other places in Odisha, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde has set up a three-judge bench to hear the pleas seeking permission to hold the Puri Rath Yatra.
Odisha’s Principal Resident Commissioner Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the behalf of the State Government seeking conduct of Ratha Jatra in Puri without “public attendance”.
“If the Rath Yatra is confined to Puri alone in a limited way without public attendance as proposed by Gajapati Maharaj of Puri, Chairman of the Puri Jagannath Temple administration, the State Government will endeavour to make necessary arrangements to conduct the Rath Yatra accordingly,” the Principal Resident Commissioner stated in the affidavit.
The Supreme Court’s order of disallowing Puri Ratha Jatra had come on a plea by an NGO seeking direction to stay the holding of the festival. The plea filed by NGO Odisha Vikas Parishad claimed that presently the entire nation including Odisha is facing an unprecedented situation due to Covid-19, where the lives of the common people are at a huge risk.
