Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Sunday dismissed a PIL filed by four law students, challenging the Maharashtra government’s decision declaring a public holiday on January 22 on account of consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The state government had made the announcement on Friday.
A special bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said that the PIL was a publicity-oriented petition and such decision falls in the realm of the executive decision. “It is difficult for us to believe that law students who are yet to enter this profession have made such allegations as mentioned in the petition. We have no doubt that this PIL has been filed for extraneous reasons. It is as rightly contended to us it appears to be absolutely frivolous and does not deserve the attention of court,” the bench said.
It further ruled that such exercise of power by the state is not arbitrary but in consonance with the secular principles, the Bar & Bench reported.
The four students had argued that declaring a public holiday to celebrate a religious event violated the principles of secularism enshrined in the Constitution.
Stock exchanges — BSE and NSE– will also remain closed due to the public holiday declared by Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.
Several other states, including Odisha, have declared half-holiday to mark the occasion. “In view of Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya, the government of Odisha is pleased to declare that the state government offices, as well as the revenue and magisterial courts (executive), will remain closed for half a day till 2.30 pm on January 22, 2024 (Monday),” said a notification issued by Revenue and Disaster Management Department.
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Schools and government offices will also remain closed for half-day in Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Maharashtra, Assam, Tripura, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Gujarat. All educational institutions and government offices will remain closed for full day as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has declared public holiday on the day to allow people to take part in the celebrations.
Central government offices will remain shut nationwide till 2.30 pm on January 22 for the ceremony. Public Sector Banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, and Regional Rural Banks will also remain closed.
Dry day has been declared in Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Assam and Uttar Pradesh. Kendrapada district in Odisha has also banned sale of liquor on this day. Many states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, have also imposed bans on meat and fish to observe the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony.
