AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Saturday stayed Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra procession keeping in mind the current Covid-19 pandemic in the city of Ahmedabad. The HC also cited the Supreme Court order restraining the procession in Puri town in Odisha.
After making it clear that no activity relating to Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra procession should be carried out anywhere across the state, the bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala questioned the state authorities for keeping mum over various applications seeking permission to take out processions. The judges were of the view that given the delicate situation in cities, where the pandemic is relatively severe, the authorities should have immediately taken a decision on requests for permission so that the situation could have become clear earlier.
The HC has sought a report from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the home department and the city police commissioner by July 6 on why they did not take any decision on applications seeking permission, said advocate Nandish Thackar.
There were two PILs filed demanding that the Rath Yatra procession should be restrained during this Covid-19 pandemic, particularly when Ahmedabad is badly affected. The petitioners contended that the procession route passes along major containment zones, where nearly 5,300 Covid-positive cases were detected and some 490 persons have lost their lives to the pandemic.
The PILs also highlighted the plight of security personnel – police, SRPF and others, who are likely to get infected due to such gatherings in Walled City areas.
They urged the HC to direct the government to reject the permission for the procession so not only police personnel, but civic and other government officials, who act as frontline workers during the procession, can be spared of their plight
After hearing the PILs, the judges opined that such processions cannot be permitted across the state particularly in light of the apex court’s observations by which it has stayed the Rath Yatra in Puri.
After making it clear that no activity relating to Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra procession should be carried out anywhere across the state, the bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala questioned the state authorities for keeping mum over various applications seeking permission to take out processions. The judges were of the view that given the delicate situation in cities, where the pandemic is relatively severe, the authorities should have immediately taken a decision on requests for permission so that the situation could have become clear earlier.
The HC has sought a report from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the home department and the city police commissioner by July 6 on why they did not take any decision on applications seeking permission, said advocate Nandish Thackar.
There were two PILs filed demanding that the Rath Yatra procession should be restrained during this Covid-19 pandemic, particularly when Ahmedabad is badly affected. The petitioners contended that the procession route passes along major containment zones, where nearly 5,300 Covid-positive cases were detected and some 490 persons have lost their lives to the pandemic.
The PILs also highlighted the plight of security personnel – police, SRPF and others, who are likely to get infected due to such gatherings in Walled City areas.
They urged the HC to direct the government to reject the permission for the procession so not only police personnel, but civic and other government officials, who act as frontline workers during the procession, can be spared of their plight
After hearing the PILs, the judges opined that such processions cannot be permitted across the state particularly in light of the apex court’s observations by which it has stayed the Rath Yatra in Puri.
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