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Prayagraj, 09 December (Hindustan Reporter). BJP leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy has challenged in the Allahabad High Court the 2017 decision of the Uttar Pradesh government, in which the government has decided to take over the management of fairs and festivals related to the temples of the state. During the hearing of the case today, on the request of Swamy’s advocate, the division bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Vikas Wednesday postponed the hearing of the petition till January 17. The court will now hear this petition on January 17 next year.
The petition seeks quashing of the Uttar Pradesh government’s notification dated 18 September 2017 and the consequent order dated 3 November 2017. It says that this notification violates Articles 14, 25 and 31-A of the Indian Constitution. The UP government is attempting to take over the administration, management and control of temples and their religious ceremonies in an arbitrary, unconstitutional and illegal manner.
The PIL also seeks a direction to the state government to permanently stop it from declaring temple fairs and festivals in the state of Uttar Pradesh as government fairs or taking over their control. Under the impugned notification/order, in relation to the fairs to be organized at Maa Lalita Devi Shaktipeeth, Naimisharanya, District Sitapur, Maa Vindhyavasini Shaktipeeth, District Mirzapur, Maa Pateshwari Shaktipeeth, Devipatan Tulsipur, District Balrampur and Shakumbhari Mata Mandir, District Saharanpur. Has been declared. Every year during Navratri, lakhs of devotees visit these fairs. The Uttar Pradesh government has justified its decision to declare these fairs as government events, saying that this will help the district administration in providing necessary facilities to the devotees. Apart from this, the government aims to bring these fairs to international standards.