Restraint order was passed on June 18 as authorities ruled out Puri 'yatra' without congregation: SC

The order disallowing the centuries-old Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra at Puri was passed on June 18 as it was told by the authorities concerned that it was “impossible” to conduct the religious event without “congregation”, the Supreme Court said on Monday.

The order disallowing the centuries-old Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra at Puri was passed on June 18 as it was told by the authorities concerned that it was “impossible” to conduct the religious event without “congregation”, the Supreme Court said on Monday. Four days after staying the the ‘Rath Yatra’, the top court modified its earlier order after the Odisha government submitted that the festival “can be held in a limited way without public attendance”. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde referred to the proceedings of June 18 that had led to passing of the restraint order in which it had said that in the interest of public health and safety of citizens due to COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘Yatra’ cannot be allowed. “Before we passed our earlier order we had suggested to the parties that the procession of chariots, that is, the Rath Yatra itself, could be allowed to proceed, however, without the general congregation which participates in this Yatra. “We were informed that it would be well nigh impossible to ensure that there is no congregation. This Court was, therefore, left with no option but to grant an injunction restraining the Rath Yatra itself,” the top court said in its order. The modification of June 18 order came after the Odisha government filed an affidavit stating that it might be possible to conduct ‘rath yatra’ in a limited way without public attendance, the top court noted on Monday. “We had restrained the respondents from holding the Rath Yatra this year in view of the danger presented by gathering of 10 to 12 lakhs devotees for a period of 10-12 days. Clearly, any spread of the Coronavirus due to the Rath Yatra would be disastrous due to the large number of persons and the impossibility of tracking all the infected people after they have gone back to their respective homes. Needless to say that it is not possible to screen the medical conditions of all those who converge on the cities for the Rath Yatra,” it said. It also referred the submission that in the 18th-19th century, a yatra of this kind was responsible for the spread of cholera and plague “like wild fire”. “We say this in order to remind the authorities concerned that the situation can become dangerous if the rules of caution are ignored,” it said. The top court allowed holding of ‘yatra’ with certain conditions such as the city of Puri will remain under curfew and no public will be allowed to take part in the mega religious event.