SC Sends Notice To Yogi Government For Allowing Kanwar Yatra In Uttar Pradesh

The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice RF Nariman on Wednesday (July 14) took suo moto cognizance of the decision of Uttar Pradesh Government to allow Kanwar Yatra in the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Yogi Adityanath government on Tuesday allowed the yatra from July 25 despite concerns raised in various quarters over the risk posed by such events in triggering a possible third wave of Covid-19.

'Kanwariyas' (devotees of Lord Shiva) collect water from River Ganga at Haridwar to offer at Shiva temples in their areas as part of the Kanwar Yatra. Thousands of devotees from across the country travel on foot to collect the water.

The state of Uttarakhand had issued a statement in the month of June to dismiss the Kanwar Yatra 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The country had seen a massive rise in cases earlier this year which led to the second wave owing mostly to festivities and the Kumbh Mela which was attended by lakhs.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttarakhand Chief Minister, suggested that he would like to keep the Kanwar Yatra suspended and requested his counterpart Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath to reconsider his decision to allow the yatra.