HC refuses to entertain plea against Delhi govt's move to organise Ganesh Chaturthi

The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition seeking to declare as illegal the Delhi government's move of organising Ganesh Chaturthi from state treasury and releasing advertisements.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed a petition seeking to declare as illegal the Delhi government's move of organising Ganesh Chaturthi from the state treasury and releasing advertisements. The Court said that the PIL had been filed without proper homework and granted liberty to the petitioner to file it with proper averments.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh allowed the petitioner to withdraw the petition and granted him liberty to file a fresh plea with proper averments in accordance with the law before an appropriate forum.

The court said the petitioner has not placed on record the advertisement based on which the petition has been filed.

Petitioner-advocate Manohal Lal Sharma said he got to know through media that the Delhi Government has been inviting people to join Ganesh Puja, on September 10, organised by the state.

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The plea contended that conducting and promoting religious worship by the state and giving advertisement in TV channels from state treasury is contrary to Articles 21 (protection of life and personal liberty), 25 (freedom to practice religion) and 14 (equality before law) and the basic structure of secularism.

It said the religious programme was being funded by the state government for political and electoral gain and is liable to be stopped.

On Wednesday, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) issued an order that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will not be allowed at public places here in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and as per the directive, people were advised to celebrate the festival at home.

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(Agency Inputs)