Need to bring a law to pay national honour to Ram, Krishna, says HC

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court has said that there is a need to bring a legislation to honour Hindu gods Ram and Krishna, epics like the Ramayana and the Gita and their authors Valmiki and Ved Vyas, adding that they are the culture and heritage of the country.

Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav made these observations while hearing a bail application of one Akash Jatav of Hathras, who was booked for sharing objectionable images of Hindu deities on social media. The court allowed the bail, considering Jatav was in jail for the last 10 months and trial in his case was yet to commence.

“…There is a need for Parliament to bring a law to pay national honour (rashtriya samman) to Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Ramayana, Gita and their authors Maharishi Valmiki and Maharishi Ved Vyas, as they are the culture and heritage of the country,” the court said in its judgment in Hindi on Friday.

The high court also said there is a “need to educate children about Indian culture by making it compulsory in schools across the country.” The court also said that in the Ram Janmabhoomi case, the Supreme Court recently gave its decision in favour of those who believe in Lord Ram. “Ram is the soul and culture of India and India is incomplete without Ram,” the court observed. On the allegations against the applicant, the court said there is a provision of harsh punishment for such conduct in many countries. The court added that one should respect the “deities and culture of the country” in which they live instead of making obscene remarks on such issues. “The Constitution of India allows one to be an atheist, but it doesn’t mean that one can pass obscene remarks against gods and goddesses,” justice Yadav said.