New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed
to consider a plea for removing alleged unreasonable
restrictions imposed by the authorities in Ayodhya on
worshipping of Lord Rama in the temple at the disputed site.
"We will consider your plea," a Bench comprising Chief
Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice Deepak Verma said while
asking Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, a party in the
matter, to move a fresh application in this regard.
"You have to a file proper application and then only
the respondents can file response," the Bench said and gave
three weeks time to him to submit the application.
The Janata Party chief told the court that he has
filed an affidavit as directed by it in March last year which
contains the prayers sought by him.
"My prayer is against the restrictions imposed on
worship," he said and drew the attention of the bench that he
has been impleaded as a party in the pending matter.
During the brief hearing, Swamy clarified to the bench
that he was not raising the question of whether Ram temple be
built at the site or not but restricting his prayers to
worship of Lord Rama in the makeshift temple.
He has alleged that authorities in Ayodhya have put
unreasonable restrictions on worshipping of Lord Rama in the
temple at the disputed site.
Earlier on January 29, he had submitted that
irrespective of the final outcome relating to the title deed
dispute pending in the Allahabad High Court, the authorities
should ensure adequate arrangements for devotees to have a
`darshan` of the idols. Denial of the same was violative of
their fundamental rights, he had said.
Swamy has contended that the regulations imposed on
the puja practice by the Uttar Pradesh Government in
consultation with the Statutory Receiver, the Commissioner,
Faizabad District, were unreasonable and unnecessarily harsh.
"According to this applicant (Swamy), these
(regulations) are highly derogatory, humiliating and
unreasonable and particularly harsh on aged, infirm or even
female devotees," the affidavit placed by him in support of
his application before the bench said.
Swamy had said the matter has to be heard urgently as
the question of public health and morality arises in it and he
was "seeking relief on behalf on the devotees".
He had sought that the "overzealous oppressive
restrictions" be relaxed within the main framework of the
ingredients of the status quo ordered in Section 7(2) of the
Acquisition of Certain Areas Ayodhya Act.
He had submitted that the earlier order of the apex
court on May 10, 1996 directing to maintain status quo had
stayed all "the humane directions passed by the Allahabad High
Court to facilitate and ameliorate conditions for Hindu
pilgrims visiting the shrine."
Swamy had further submitted that the status quo order
passed by the apex court in the special leave petition pending
before it was acting as a hindrance and sought the
implementation of the directions passed by the High Court.
PTI
