By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision earlier on the day against holding of the Rath Yatra in Puri and elsewhere in Odisha.
As the Cabinet meeting began under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Advocate General Ashok Parija submitted a copy of the apex court’s order.
The decision to comply with the court’s decision was taken after Law Minister Pratap Jena moved a resolution in this regard.
In another move, the Cabinet paid tributes to the Indian Army men, including two Odia soldiers, who were martyred in the recent clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh.
The State Government was severely criticised by various quarters for not making enough efforts to convince the Supreme Court to hold Rath Yatra this year.
Many critics demanded that the Government file a revision petition in the apex court pleading for conduct of the festival.
Leading the attack, senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra alleged that this was pre-planned as the State Government was trying to stop the festival ever since Akshaya Trutiya.
He said, “All the preparations for the annual festival have gone wasted. What had not happened in the last five centuries now became a reality.” The Car Festival could have been held without participation of devotees, he added.
Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Pradipta Naik was of the view that instead of moving the court, the Government should have found a way out to organise Rath Yatra after holding wider consultations with experts. The Government lacked clarity on the issue from the very beginning, he said, further alleging that the Government indirectly stopped the festival that involves an emotional issue for 4.5 crore people of Odisha.
Stating that the State Government finally succeeded in stopping the Rath Yatra, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the Government was afraid that if it had stopped the festival, it would have been accused of hurting People’s sentiments; so, it sought an order of the apex court.
However, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb said that now all have to obey the Supreme Court’s verdict though it would hurt Lord Jagannath’s devotees across the world. Suggestions would be sought from the Sankaracharya on a feasibility of conducting the festival rituals inside the temple premises, he said.
