The Supreme Court refused to hear a petition challenging the 'VIP' darshan facility in temples in India.
At the same time, the court also refused to issue any direction under Article 32, but said that getting such 'special facility' in temples is arbitrary. Apart from this, the court told the state governments that appropriate action should be taken on this issue if necessary.
What did the bench say?
In fact, during the hearing of a writ petition seeking the abolition of VIP darshan fee levied by temples across the country, the bench of CJI Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, the counsel for the petitioner stressed the need for the states to bring some kind of 'standard operating procedure' for availing darshan in famous temples. He said that giving special facilities to some people is arbitrary and a violation of the principle of equality. Stampede incidents also occur due to the lack of any SOP.
What was the argument given?
He argued that today 12 Jyotirlingas, all Shaktipeeths are following such a practice, it is completely arbitrary. Let the state formulate some kind of SOP. Please make specific prayers regarding the specific issue, he said. However, the bench agreed that special treatment for darshan is arbitrary. The court cannot issue directions under Article 32. It is a policy matter for the consideration of the government.
What else did the Supreme Court say?
The apex court said that we believe that there should be no special treatment with regard to entry into temples, but we do not think that this is a fit case to exercise jurisdiction under Article 32.
The petition said that the practice of providing special or quick 'darshan' in temples under an additional 'VIP' darshan fee is violative of the principle of Articles 14 and 21, as it discriminates against devotees who cannot afford such expenses. Charging an additional fee of up to Rs 400-500 in the temple lacks consideration for ordinary devotees who face many physical and financial constraints.
Bigg Boss 19: This TV actress got an invitation to Salman Khan's show, will she enter season 19?
Everyone is eagerly waiting for the controversial show Bigg Boss 19 on the small screen. Every da
During the discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah launched a
Another star kid has made his debut in Bollywood, but in a different way. In the recent past, man
While addressing the people of Sikkim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the Pahalgam terror
The Supreme Court has overturned the decision to send dogs to shelter homes. The apex court overt
Rashtriya Janata Dal national president Lalu Prasad Yadav's elder son, Bihar's former minister in
After two and a half years of preparations, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is going to be implement
Following the violence in Nagpur, the Maharashtra Cyber Department has identified more than
The chances of survival of eight workers trapped there after a part of the tunnel of the Srisaila
Anunay Sood's girlfriend wrote an emotional message, saying, 'This is not true...'
Popular travel influencer Anunay Sood has passed away at the age of 32. The cause of his death ha
