‘It’s life for Odias’: BJP’s Sambit Patra moves SC to allow Rath Yatra, hearing tomorrow

With the world-famous Rath yatra in Puri lower than 36 hours away, BJP chief Sambit Patra, who misplaced Lok Sabha elections from Puri final 12 months, has joined a dozen and half different litigants in Supreme Court searching for partial modification of its June 18 keep order and permitting holding of the competition with out congregation of devotees.

“Today I filled an application for clarification/modification of earlier order of SC and sought permission for the Holy Rath Yatra of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu in Puri scheduled for 23rd June. Hope all our prayers are answered by the Lord of the Universe,” tweeted Patra after submitting the intervention utility.

Patra mentioned the annual Rath Yatra isn’t just a competition for Odia folks. “It’s life for Odias. Who are we without Rath Yatra. I hope we would be blessed by Lord Jagannath tomorrow. I would go on fast on Monday and I would request everyone in Puri to go on fast tomorrow for victory in SC tomorrow,” he mentioned.

On June 18, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice SA Bobde had stayed the Rath Yatra in view of the risk posed by the Covid-19 pandemic after an NGO moved the court docket towards holding the competition. The SC judgment has triggered a large outrage in Odisha with 18 intervention functions filed to change the order. They have been listed for a listening to within the chambers of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat on Monday.

As folks of Odisha wait with bated breath over the scheduled listening to in SC tomorrow, Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati of the Govardhan Peeth alleged that there appeared to be a well-orchestrated transfer to cease the Rath Yatra.

Also Read: Plea in SC towards Rath Yatra order

In an announcement issued on Sunday, Saraswati mentioned if the Supreme Court wished, it might have taken up for listening to the petitions filed on June 20. “The courts do remain open even on holidays if the situation warrants. The Rath Yatra is day after tomorrow and just a day remains for the big event now. That is why one is forced to view this as a well-planned project to stop the Rath Yatra altogether. The fact that it happened just a day before the summer vacations start, also proves the same,” he mentioned in an announcement.

Saraswati mentioned in non secular and non secular issues, the supremacy of the Shankaracharya is a settled challenge. “In these circumstances, the judiciary should not just get advice from us in matters of religion, but also be guided by us. I don’t want to criticise the SC, but the court did not show enough wisdom while delivering the judgment,” he mentioned, referring to the June 18 order.

Questioning the SC remark that Lord Jagannath could not forgive if the Yatra was held in the course of the pandemic, he requested whether or not the Lord would forgive if all of the traditions are performed away with.

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Earlier on Saturday, Puri’s titular king Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb, thought of as the primary servitor of the Lord and likewise the pinnacle of the temple administration committee, had written to chief minister Naveen Patnaik to carry the Rath Yatra saying not holding would harm the non secular sentiments of numerous devotees around the globe who watch the sacred Yatra dwell on TV.

“In the course of Odisha’s long history, Ratha Yatra has not been held only during attacks by Mughal forces during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, when the Lords had to be hidden in remote places. The present crisis caused by Covid pandemic, is not a situation which renders it impossible to conduct Ratha Yatra in Puri as it can be held without any congregation of general public. I request you to take appropriate steps for approaching Supreme Court for a partial modification of its June 18 order so as to permit the performance of Ratha Yatra only at Puri,” wrote Divyasingh Deb in his letter to Patnaik.

Among the a number of intervention functions filed within the SC searching for modification of the June 18 order, is one filed by Aftab Hossen, a Muslim man from Nayagarh district of Odisha. Hossen in his utility mentioned after the June 18 order, folks of Odisha are feeling harm and that the Court ought to enable the conduct of the yatra with participation solely from servitors and temple police, with out most of the people enjoying a task in it. It is necessary to have a good time the competition as there may be “scientific evidence” that the climate turns into nice when Lord Jagannath is introduced out of the temple, Hossen mentioned in his petition.

The building of the three chariots is sort of over with the Maharanas working additional time to complete the work. If allowed, the nine-day competition will start on June 23 and go on for subsequent 10 days.

Meanwhile, including a twist to the continuing challenge, the state authorities on Sunday night issued a press word saying it might take a beneficial motion as legally permissible when the intervention petitions are taken up for listening to earlier than the Supreme Court on Monday.

The state authorities mentioned its stand throughout June 18 listening to was primarily associated to hundreds of Rath Yatras happening all around the State. Though the press word didn’t point out the Rath Yatra at Puri particularly, it mentioned the hundreds of Rath Yatras throughout the state in nearly each gram panchayats of the State would contain lakhs of individuals.

“More than 5 lakh people of Odisha have returned to the State since May and are likely to complete their quarantine period by the end of June. This along with the onset of monsoon has made the Covid pandemic likely to peak in the State in June and July. Any congregation during the probable peaking period can lead to loss of lives and serious public health hazard,” it mentioned.

On June 18, the state authorities had engaged senior advocate Harish Salve who had argued from London by way of video convention. Officials mentioned the state authorities would put its greatest foot ahead on June 22 listening to although absolute best attorneys.

The Rath Yatra has continued uninterrupted since 1736. It couldn’t happen 32 instances between 1558 and 1735 on account of Mughal invasions.