Supreme Court to hear pleas against its stay order on Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra on June 22

The Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to hear a bunch of petitions seeking modification of its earlier June 18 order staying the `Rath Yatra` in Odisha's Puri due to coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak on Monday (June 22).

A single-judge bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat will hear four petitions filed by different persons and organisations at 11 am via in-chamber hearing. 

Earlier on June 18, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde had remarked that such gatherings cannot be allowed to take place at the time of a pandemic.

"Lord Jagannath will forgive us if we stay the Rath Yatra this year... In the interest of public health and safety of citizens, Rath Yatra cannot be allowed this year," the apex court had observed.

The court also said that the Rath Yatra will not be held anywhere in Odisha in 2020 to avoid large gathering that could spread COVID-19 pandemic.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Sunday (June 21) tweeted that he has also approached the top court seeking a modification of its earlier order staying the annual Jagannath Yatra at Puri in Odisha. He assured the court that the Rath Yatra will be held without a congregation of devotees and services of 800 sevayats will be used, all of whom have tested negative for the infection. 

"Today I filed an Application for clarification/modification of earlier order of SC and sought permission for the Holy Rath Yatra of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu in Puri scheduled for 23rd June. Hope all our prayers are answered by the Lord of the Universe," tweeted Patra, who had also contested 2019 Lok Sabha election from Puri.

Today I filled an Application for clarification/modification of earlier order of SC and sought permission for the Holy Rath Yatra of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu in Puri scheduled for 23rd June
Hope all our prayers are answered by the Lord of the Universe #JayJagannath pic.twitter.com/cIBKq4SVqX — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) June 21, 2020

On June 15, a petition was moved by an NGO seeking direction to stay on the Rath Yatra. The petitioner, NGO Odisha Vikas Parishad, had stated that if the Rath Yatra is allowed, then COVID-19 infection will increase manifold. 

It sought an immediate order directing the respondents, including the Odisha government, not to grant any permission for holding the Rath Yatra till the disposal of the accompanying writ petition.

The Rath Yatra is scheduled to be held on June 23.