By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/PURI/ BHUBANESWAR: Numerous petitions filed in the Supreme Court seeking partial modification in the apex court’s previous order of disallowing Ratha Jatra in Odisha’s Puri was on Sunday listed for hearing on June 22 at 11 am.The hearing by Justice S. Ravindra Bhat is scheduled to take place through videoconferencing at Virtual Court no. 3.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliates; the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has urged the Supreme Court to review its order putting a complete ban on the Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri in Odisha. VHP Secretary General Milind Parande on Sunday said that the traditional annual Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) of Lord Jagannath in Puri, which has been conducted “uninterruptedly in a row for the last hundreds of years,” should happen this year too. The Rath Yatra was scheduled to start on June 23.
Meanwhile, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, insisted that the Supreme Court should “reconsider” its decision to stay the Rath Yatra, and allow servitors to observe the festival with precautions in place. The Puri Shankaracharya alleged about a larger conspiracy.
Making a case, the VHP suggested that the chariot can be symbolically drawn by means of elephants, mechanical assistance or required number of well-tested COVID-19-negative perfectly healthy individuals working in the temple.
Parande in a statement said, “The Rath Yatra can be made possible at the holy Bada Daanda (Grand Avenue) even with all the public health protocols against the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in place. A way out must be found to ensure the annual continuity of the Yatra. In today’s circumstances, it is hardly expected that a million devotees would gather in the Yatra.” He also urged the Supreme Court to review its decision.
On Thursday, Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said even Lord Jagannath would not forgive the apex court if it allowed the celebrations amid the rising cases of Covid-19. But the VHP Secretary General said that it is the “conscientiousness and responsibility of the Government of Odisha” to take proper steps to ensure the nonstop conduct of this ancient tradition.
Thus, the VHP has put the onus on the state government. “The State Government has completely failed in fulfilling its duty in this respect. In fact, the Government of Odisha could not properly place and articulate all the facts, figures and aspects in this matter before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of Bharat,” the VHP alleged.
The Supreme Court’s ruling came 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.
The plea cited the May 7 letter issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, which granted permission to the state government to carry out the construction of chariots for the conducting of the Ratha Jatra subject to the condition that no religious congregation takes place while it is constructed and adherence to stipulations provided in the guideline issued on May 1.
