Plea for Muharram procession: Allahabad high court reserves its verdict

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court on Friday reserved the judgement in a petition seeking permission to take out ‘tazia’ procession during Muharram.
Hearing a writ petition filed by Roshan Khan and several others seeking permission to carry out tazia procession during upcoming Muharram, a division bench comprising Justice Shashi Kant Gupta and Justice Shamim Ahmed reserved its judgment after hearing both the sides. The court is likely to deliver this verdict on Saturday. The petitioners’ plea was that any restriction on carrying out the procession during Muharram is in violation of their fundamental right of freedom to practice religion.
“Also, other religious festivals were allowed by the state government during the same period but only procession of Muharram is not being allowed, which is discriminatory action on the part of the state government,” said the petitioners’ counsel.
However, the state government counsel opposed the said plea, saying that freedom to practice religion is not an absolute right and the same is subject to public order, morality and health. Since Covid-19 is a pandemic, hence, the state government can restrict religious activities keeping in mind the issue of public health.
“State action is not discriminatory rather during the month of August, the processions were not allowed even during the festivals of Ganesh Chaturthi and Krishna Janamasthmi as well. Public is allowed to practice religion inside their house but no public gathering is permitted during such events to check the spread of deadly corona virus,” added the state government counsel.