3 intervention applications filed in SC against order staying Jagannath Rath Yatra

Three intervention applications have been filed in the Supreme Court seeking modification of its earlier order staying the annual Rath Yatra at Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri in view of COVID-19 pandemic, the lawyer of the petitioner said on Saturday.

Three intervention applications have been filed in the Supreme Court seeking modification of its earlier order staying the annual Rath Yatra at Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri in view of COVID-19 pandemic, the lawyer of the petitioner said on Saturday. The apex court had, on June 18, stayed the annual Rath Yatra, which was slated to being on June 23, and all activities related to the gathering for the event.

"I have filed three intervention applications on behalf of three devotees seeking a modification of the June 18 order of the apex court. One application was filed yesterday and two today," petitioner's lawyer Pranay Kumar Mohapatra told ANI here. According to the lawyer, the intervention applications are likely to be listed for hearing on Monday.

"I hope the court modifies its order and allows the holding of Rath Yatra at Puri only subject to some restrictions. Rath Yatra should be held in Puri on its scheduled time and the entire district should be shut down completely," Mohapatra said. "People should not be allowed to participating in the Rath Yatra and the temple area should be barricaded around 3 km. Odisha government has already conducted COVID-19 tests on 1,172 sevayats, which have come negative," he added.

Mohapatra said that if the Rath Yatra is conducted by sevayats, there are less chances of coronavirus spread during the religious programme. Notably, the Odisha government has also decided to abide by the Supreme Court's order to not hold Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri this year in view of COVID-19 pandemic. (ANI)

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