Bombay HC says pandal organisers are extorting money

Slams setting up of pandals on public roads during festivals.

Bombay high court, Ganeshotsav, Ganeshotsav pandal, Navratri, Navratri pandal, ISKCON, mumbai news, indian express

The court was hearing two petitions — one by ISKCON seeking permission for Jagannath Rath Yatra, the another on loudspeakers used during festivals. (Express)

The Bombay High Court has slammed organisations and persons putting up pandals on public roads during religious festivals like Ganeshotsav and Navratri.

“In principle we are against all this. We are of the opinion that Ganeshotsav, Navratri and other festivals that are celebrated in open spaces of the city should be stopped. Who is benefiting? These pandals are just extorting money,” said a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi.

The court was hearing two petitions. One has been filed by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) seeking permission to hold their annual Jagannath Rath Yatra and the second one is on the issue of use of loudspeakers during festivals.

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“Is it impossible to have these festivals without loudspeakers? We are against this,” the court said. The bench has posted both the petitions for further hearing after two weeks.

While hearing a PIL filed on noise pollution, the Bombay high court had in June stated that “no citizen can claim the fundamental right to worship God or offer prayers at any and every place, unless it is a significant place of worship”.

The two-member bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Revati Mohite-Dere had said that people should have the fundamental right to walk on roads and footpaths that are in a good condition. They had added that municipal commissioners should use their discretionary powers to grant permission for temporary pandals.
Political parties like the Shiv Sena have, however, claimed that the state seemed to be limiting the rights of the people to celebrate Hindu festivals. Ganesh festivities will begin in Mumbai on September 17.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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