The Bombay high court on Monday asked city-based Bihari Front why it wanted to invite celebrities to take part in rituals during Chhat Puja and posted its petition challenging the collector’s order pr
The Bombay high court on Monday asked city-based Bihari Front why it wanted to invite celebrities to take part in rituals during Chhat Puja and posted its petition challenging the collector’s order prohibiting it from inviting celebrities before a regular bench for hearing. The petition will be heard a day before Chhat Puja.
Justice V.L. Achliya, presiding over the vacation bench on Monday was hearing a petition filed by ‘Bihari Front’, of which former MP Sanjay Nirupam is also a member. According to the petition, the collector of Mumbai Suburban on November 5 refused to grant them permission to invite celebrities during the Chhat Puja, which is scheduled to be held on November 17 and 18 at Juhu beach.
When advocate Anirudha Garge told the court that the collector allowed the organisation to hold the puja and erect a platform on the beach for performance of rituals it did not allow it to put up a temporary fence to create a dry zone and invite celebrities, the judge asked him, “Why do you (Bihari Front) want to call celebrities for such festivals ”
Advocate Garge then told the court that they have only invited former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and that she was not a celebrity. He also argued, “We have been celebrating the festival for the last 18 years at Juhu beach and till date there has not been any complaint of violation of the rules and conditions imposed on us.”
The petitioner also contended that it is the discretion of the organisation whether or not to invite celebrities and the authority concerned cannot dictate terms after granting permission. The judge then posted the petition for hearing on November 16 before a regular bench of the high court.
It may be recalled that last month the high court had refused to grant permission to cultural organisation ‘Mann Ranglo’ to hold Chhath Puja after observing that an end needs to be put to celebration of festivals with songs and dances, instead of rituals.
