The Supreme Court has refused to hear the demand of allowing all the devotees into the sanctum sanctorum of Mahakal temple in Ujjain. The petitioner had said that only VIPs are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. The Supreme Court refused to hear the petition and said that it is not the job of the court to decide who should go to the temple.
Earlier, Madhya Pradesh High Court had also rejected this demand. The High Court had said that it will not interfere in the functioning of the temple management. Petitioner Darpan Awasthi had reached the Supreme Court against this. The case came before a bench of three judges headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner.
Right at the beginning of Sunny, the Chief Justice raised questions on the petition. He said, “There cannot be any VIP in the courtyard of Mahakal. But what is the purpose of filing such a petition? People who file such petitions do not go to the temple with devotion. Their purpose is something else.”
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that he was demanding a uniform policy for entry into the temple. At this time the Collector of Ujjain decides who will be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Mahakal Temple. On this, the Chief Justice said that the decision regarding entry into the temple should be left to the administration there only. The court cannot hear this.
Trying to reassure the bench, Jain said that the High Court had differentiated between the devotees. This is a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. On this, the Chief Justice said, “First the right to equality will be argued for entry. Then the right to freedom of expression will be argued for sitting there and chanting mantras. It is better not to go there than to go to the sanctum sanctorum wearing the garland of fundamental rights.”
Considering the attitude of the judges, the petitioner’s lawyer proposed to withdraw the petition. He said that he wants to submit a memorandum to the temple administration. The judges agreed with this and allowed him to withdraw the petition.
