“Although we don’t approve of holding religious festivities on school grounds, this Ramleela has been going on for the past 100 years, and the festivities for this year began on September 14,” the bench noted while staying the paragraph in the high court order which barred holding of the festivities.

The court issued notice on the plea filed by Shree Nagar Ram Lila Mahotsav to the Uttar Pradesh government and asked the high court to direct the district administration to submit a proposal for another site in the future. The bench further requested the high court to hear the Shree Nagar Ram Lila Mahotsav on the next date of hearing along with other stakeholders and submit a proposal for an alternative location.

The top court also reprimanded the petitioner, Pradeep Singh Rana, for not approaching the court earlier and filing the case only after the festivities began on September 14. “This Ramleela has been going on for 100 years, and you also accept this fact. Then what prevented you from moving the courts in advance and stopping the festivities? Neither are you a student nor a parent of students, so what interest do you have in stopping the festivities?” the bench questioned the PIL petitioner.

The petitioner submitted that it was only after the construction of a concrete wall commenced that he approached the high court seeking a stay on the festivities.

*This story has been sourced from a third-party syndicated feed/agency. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for the dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, or content of the text. Mid-day management and mid-day.com reserve the sole right to alter, delete, or remove (without notice) the content at their absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.*
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/sc-stays-allahabad-hc-order-barring-ramleela-festivities-in-school-ground-in-firozabad-23595749