The Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed RTI activist Saket Gokhale's plea to restrain Ram Mandir's Bhoomi Pujan. In his plea, Gokhale had said that 300 people have been invited on August 5 for the event and that may cause violation of the social distancing regulations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, reported Bar and Bench.
However, Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh dismissed the plea and said that they expect the organisers of the event to ensure social and physical distancing norms are followed.
The court observed, "The entire petition for writ is based on assumptions and there is no foundation for apprehending violation of the prescribed protocol. At present, we expect the organizers and the Government of Uttar Pradesh would ensure all the protocol applicable for social and physical distancing. In view of whatever stated above, we do not find any just reason to interfere in the matter. The writ petition hence is dismissed."
In a tweet, Gokhale said that it remains to be seen what Ministry of Home Affairs’s new Unlock 3.0 guidelines say on religious gatherings now.
"My letter petition has been dismissed by the Allahabad HC which has said that it “expects UP govt & organizers to maintain social distancing at Ram Mandir event”. It remains to be seen what MHA’s new Unlock 3.0 guidelines say on religious gatherings now after this. #NewIndia," he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Ram Temple on August 5, said Swami Govind Dev Giri, Treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust.
He said that social distancing norms will be ensured at the programme, with not more than 200 people attending the ceremony.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Ram Temple on August 5. To ensure social distancing at the programme, we have decided that there will not be more than 200 people, including 150 invitees (at the event)," Giri told ANI.
"The Prime Minister will visit Hanuman Garhi, Ram Lalla temple, plant a tree and later do the 'bhoomi pujan'," he said.
He added that the temple will be ready within three and a half years.
"The structure has been almost finalised. The (designing) work of the temple has been given to the Sompura family who designed the Somnath Temple, Amba Temple, Swaminarayan Temple in Delhi. L&T will carry out the construction work. The company is going to work without any profit but we will give them a nominal profit. We are confident that the construction of the temple will be completed within three and a half years," he said.
(With ANI inputs)
