Supreme Court Allows Jagannath Rath Yatra Amid Covid-19 Scare; Puri Shut Down For 40 Hours

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Jagannath Yatra to be held in Puri, Odisha after protests over its decision to cancel it due to rising coronavirus cases in the country.

A curfew-like restrictions have been imposed in Puri. (File Photo/ AFP)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Jagannath Yatra to take place in Puri, Odisha after protests erupted in the state after the apex court cancelled the yatra on June 18 due to the increasing number of Coronavirus cases in the country. The court however, stated that the religious event shall be allowed but without compromising safety and health of participants. No public participation will be allowed in the yatra, it said. ALSO READ| Why Is Delhi Government Providing Oximetre To Covid 19 Patients? Find Out What It Does Meanwhile, the district administration of Puri has decided to shutdown the city from 9 pm today till 2 pm on Wednesday. As per reports, a curfew-like restrictions have been imposed in the city to ensure the Rath Yatra is conducted safely. As per reports, Odisha government has activated its administrative machinery on a war footing for smooth conduct of the annual festival to be held on June 23.

Considering the urgency and importance of the matter, it was placed in front of a vacation bench of the Supreme Court and the hearing took place this afternoon, which paved the way for the important decision by the SC.

Congratulations to the people of Odisha. जय जगन्नाथ! — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 22, 2020

The court has said that the yatra will be held with coordination of temple committee, State, and central Government without compromising the health of the public. According to a report by ANI, the court has also said that the state government can even stop the yatra or festivities if they feel it is going out of hand. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will chair the Rath Yatra preparatory meeting at 5 pm today in Bhubaneswar. The report said that the order was pronounced after the court heard a batch of intervention applications seeking modification of its earlier order. According to media reports, four petitions were filed at the court over the cancellation of the yatra. An IANS report said that the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, mentioned the Rath Yatra issue before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra. The report said that the Center told the SC today that if traditions are broken then the Hindu God will not be able to have a Rath Yatra for the next 12 years. The Centre also suggested that the Rath Yatra can be conducted with the participation of the public The Rath Yatra festival, which is marked by a gigantic chariot carnival is to be held on June 23. In its earlier decision the Supreme Court had put a stay on this year’s procession, due to rising Covid-19 cases in the country. In the hearing, Chief Justice S A Bobde has said that Lord Jagannath would not forgive us if we allow this year’s Rath Yatra to go on as such a huge gathering can’t take place.  The bench has also directed the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha not to allow procession and related activities anywhere in the state to avoid the spread of Coronavirus. At present, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has reached 4,25,282 and it is the fourth-worst affected country in the world.