Odisha govt: No problem if Covid rules are followed

Odisha government’s “tacit move” to stop Lord Jagannath’s ritual Ratha Yatra was exposed on Monday after it submitted in the Supreme Court that it had no objection if the annual event was organized with enforcement of all Covid-19 guidelines.

The aforesaid submission was in stark contrast with its earlier stand in the SC.

On June 18, when the apex court took up a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Odisha Vikash Parishad, the state government through its lawyer Harish Salve prayed for a stay order saying that nearly 10 to 12 lakh people will assemble in Puri and it would create a serious challenge to fight against Covid-19.

The state government’s submission — which the Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik described as a “tacit move” to stall Ratha Yatra — resulted in the SC restraining the Jagannath Temple Management Committee (JTMC) to conduct the grand event.

The Gajapati King of Puri, Dibyasingha Deb and Sankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on Saturday evening fired salvos at the state government saying it had furnished wrong information to the SC on the number of devotees. The Gajapati King enjoys enormous love and affection of all Odias while Sankaracharya is recognised the as the top guru of all Hindus. Both the personalities questioned the state government as to how it anticipated arrival of around 10-12 lakh devotees when all means of transporation had been stopped.