Rajasthan HC bars state-sponsored functions during Vasundhara Raje's 'Gaurav Yatra'

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday held that no government-sponsored functions should be held during Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's much-publicised 'Gaurav Yatra' across the state.

The order was passed by the division bench of the Rajasthan High Court led by Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajong.

In its ruling, the bench directed that no functions, for which funds are being disbursed by the state, will be carried on along the 'Gaurav Yatra'.

''To a common man, if during the 'Gaurav Yatra', which is a political event, the leader of the political party who happens to be the chief minister inaugurates public functions, the understanding would be the glorification of a political party and not the glorification of the achievements by the government,'' the court observed. 

"We declare that no public functions sponsored and financed by the state would be held during the road-shows ie the 'Gaurav Yatra' undertaken by the BJP in the state of Rajasthan. Meaning thereby, on the day of the 'Gaurav Yatra', no government function would be held enroute when the Chief Minister and the functionaries of the BJP halt the 'Gaurav Yatra' for some time and re-commence the same after the break," the bench said in its ruling.

The bench passed the order while responding to a PIL filed by advocate Vibhuti Bhushan Sharma. 

BJP chief Amit Shah had launched the 40-day 'Gaurav Yatra' on August 4 from Rajsamand. 

Meanwhile, a political slugfest has started over the BJP's 'Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra'.

Raje had on Tuesday said that the Congress was nervous as her 'Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra' was evoking good response among the people and was trying to create disturbances, leading to stone pelting at her convoy in Jodhpur's Pipad area.

Speaking at a BJP legislators' meeting to discuss the strategy for the Monsoon Session of the assembly beginning Wednesday, Raje said stones were pelted during her campaign recently and that Congress workers also threw stones at Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's convoy in his state.

These incidents showed that the Congress is doing all these in a ''state of nervousness''.

(With PTI Inputs)