No Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad this year, orders Gujarat High Court
In a hearing past 2 am, the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday rejected all applications that challenged the stay on Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad. In light of the rising coronavirus cases, the High Court ordered that there will no Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad this year and the procession will be limited to the Jagannath Mandir Campus only.
The court also noted that there can be no comparison between the city of Puri and Ahmedabad. That, the number of cases in Puri is significantly lesser than that of Ahmedabad. And on that, the order of the Supreme Court regarding the Puri Rath Yatra was not treated as the only grounds for granting or rejecting the Rath Yatra to be organised.
The decision was taken by a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala.
The bench said: "Why the government changed stand? Faith is not so fragile to break if yatra doesn't take place. What's the meaning of yatra in the absence of people."
On Monday, the Gujarat government approached the high court for modification of its earlier order staying the procession of Lord Jagannath Yatra in Ahmedabad, which was supposed to be taken out on June 23.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said he had directed the state Advocate General to approach the high court and request it to allow the annual procession.
The HC had on Saturday stayed the procession amid the coronavirus pandemic in Ahmedabad.
