Union Govt's intervention in verdict over religious rituals in court sought

Mangalore, February 12: Condemning a judgement of Gujarat High Court which on Thursday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that had challenged performance of religious rituals in the court campus, activists of Saamvidhanika Chaluvali have urged the Union Government to intervene.

While dismissing the PIL, the High Court also slapped a penalty of Rs 20,000 on the petitioner, Rajesh Solanki, a Dalit activist. The court raised doubts over bonafide intentions of the petitioner.

Rajesh Solanki had filed the PIL questioning performance of Hindu religious rituals on the high court campus on the ground that a public place should maintain its secular credentials in a secular country.

The petition claimed that the court campus was a secular place and religious rituals - Bhoomi-pujan followed by a prayer and chanting of shlokas - should not be permitted, else the judiciary would lose its secular credentials in the public eye. The petitioner had sought the performance of rituals be declared as unconstitutional by the high court.

The Division Bench comprising Justices Jayant Patel and J C Upadhyay passed the judgment and observed that 'secularism' is not 'anti-God.'

The Chaluvali noted that with this judgement superstitions and partiality will convert into national values.

The Chaluvali has urged the Centre to file an appeal before the Supreme Court against the judgement.