Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 18: Division Bench of State High Court comprising First Puisne Judge Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice B S Walia today admitted a Public Interest Litigating (PIL) challenging commercialization of worship at Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine and issued post admission notice to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shrine Board and others.
The PIL has been filed by practicing Advocate Summit Nayyar seeking quashment of the Order No. SMVDSB/CEO/ ST/152-159 dated 31-5-2008 and also the Order No. 569/ SB of 2008 dated 11-3-2008 besides seeking directions to the respondents to take immediate steps for modifying of these orders whereby Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has fixed the price for the devotees to attend and perform Aarti.
During the course of hearing, petitioner submitted that the religious sentiments, spiritual emotions and conviction of crore of devotees have been shaken by the respondents because of their impugned act of commercialization of worship at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine by fixing the price for attending the Aarti.
He further submitted that the respondents without showing any sanctity for religious sentiments of the devotees and by acting like typical businessmen have fixed price and charges for the devotees who wish to attend the Aartis. Even those devotees who can pay more charges and price fixed by the respondents are allowed to attend such Aarti in the first row whereas those who pay less are put in the secondary and subsequent rows and likewise. “The devotees who cannot afford to pay the price or charges to attend the Aarti, are not even allowed to go beyond a particular entrance gate”, he added.
During the course of hearing, Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi submitted, “there is no provision of Constitution of India, Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and laws framed thereunder which empowers the respondents to commercialize the worship or even prescribe any fee/price/charges for attending Aarti at the holy shrines and places”, adding “the impugned act of the respondents has hurt the religious sentiments and feelings of crores of devotees”.
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