The Supreme Court on Wednesday took a suo motu notice of the Uttar Pradesh’s government’s decision to allow Kanwar Yatra amidst fears of the third wave of the pandemic hitting the country.
The Supreme Court Bench of Justices RF Nariman and BR Gavai issued notices to both the Yogi Adityanath government and the Centre while fixing the next date of hearing for 16 June.
Referring to a newspaper report, the Bench said, “We were a little disturbed given today’s headline in the “Indian Express” of 14.07.2021 about the ‘Kanwar Yatra’, which is likely to be held from 25.07.2021.”
It added, “This Court has taken Suo Moto cognisance of the newspaper report and thus issues notice to the Union of India and the States of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to file their early response.”
The newspaper report came hours after the Uttarakhand government decided to cancel this year’s Kanwar Yatra in view of the danger of another wave of the pandemic hitting India.
Read Supreme Court’s order taking Suo Moto cognizance Of Uttar Pradesh Govt’s move to allow #KanwarYatra ????#KanwarYatra2021 @myogiadityanath @UPGovt pic.twitter.com/uQQoEcAPGN
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The Supreme Court said that the newspaper headline ‘above this headline speaks about the Prime Minister’s statement when he met the North-Eastern Chief Ministers that when people ask about the third wave of the Covid-19 virus striking the citizenry of India, it’s up to us to stop it and we cannot compromise “even a bit”.’
“Given the disparate political voices, all speaking at the same time, it is important that the relevant Secretary, Union of India, respond to this news report,” the Supreme Court said.
The top court fixed the next hearing for 16 July since the said Kanwar Yatra was expected to start from 25 July.
This year’s Kumbh Mela, which was attended by at least 10 million Hindus in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, had acted as a superspreader in triggering the second wave of the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of people had lost their lives. The BJP had to face widespread condemnation as families struggled to find hospital beds and places to perform last rites for their loved ones.