Prayagraj, 16 January: The Allahabad High Court has refused to hear the PIL challenging the order issued by the Chief Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Government, in which the Chief Secretary has given permission to perform bhajan-kirtan in all the temples of the state on January 22, to read Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas.
A government order has been issued to recite Manas and take out Rath-Kalash Yatra in all the cities.
however, the High Court has now refused to hear the matter out of turn. The court will hear as per rules.
This PIL has been filed on behalf of Advocate Narottam Shukla, State President of All India Lawyers Union (AILU), Uttar Pradesh. A total of four people have been made parties in the petition. A request was made for urgent hearing on the petition before Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta. But the Acting Chief Justice’s court refused to hear it without delay, considering it not urgent.
In the petition, the Chief Secretary’s mandate has been considered against the secular character of the Indian Constitution and Articles 25, 26 and 27.
It is said that according to this, the Constitution requires the state to remain independent from any religious activity or event. Also, the Constitution grants freedom of religious conscience to all individuals and religious sects, but the State itself will not have any religious character.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary has issued a government order in this regard on 21 December 2023. In the government order issued, all the District Magistrates of UP have been asked to take out Bhajan-Kirtan, Ramayana, Ramcharit Manas Path, Rath and Kalash Yatra on January 22. For this, it was asked to take the cooperation of Anganwadi, Asha Bahu, ANM etc. employees in village, block, district and cities, to pay story tellers and kirtan troupes by the District Cultural Council (for this, Rs 590 lakh was released separately from the treasury).
In the government order, all this has been asked to be done in celebration of the consecration of the idol of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.
