New Delhi: An outfit Monday filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the order of Orissa High Court regarding Rath Yatra in Puri and pleaded for the cancelation of the grand festival.
The petitioner, president of Bharatiya Bikash Parishad, Surendra Panigrahi, contended that the judgement of Orissa High Court is illegal and unconstitutional as it violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and the Wild Life Protection Act and the Jagannath culture.
Referring to Madala Panji, the petitioner stated that earlier also the Rath Yatra had been cancelled and during those years the Rath Yatra was performed by construction of miniature chariots and the car festival was conducted inside Srimandir precincts. He pleaded for the same exercise this year.
The petitioner submitted that it won’t be possible to maintain social distancing during the car festival and urged for either postponement or cancellation of the festival.
“The Supreme Court may kindly pass an order to postpone/cancel Rath Yatra at Puri and other parts of Odisha scheduled to be held June 23 to save the lives of humans from the Covid-19 pandemic and accordingly pass directions to the government of Odisha,” the petition reads.
Earlier, the Orissa High Court had ruled that in case the state government decides to hold Rath Yatra at Puri in conformity with Covid-19 guidelines, it must also duly consider deployment of machinery or other means like elephants to pull the chariots.
It is to be mentioned here that three heavily built chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are traditionally pulled over a distance of 3km twice during the nine-day festival of the Trinity at Puri. The Ratha Yatra is scheduled to be held June 23.
