Uttarakhand High Court stays Chardham Yatra till further orders. Govt to appeal in Supreme Court

The Uttarakhand government has postponed the Char Dham Yatra in the state after the high court’s thirty four page orders directing it to stop it. However, according to the official spokesman of the state government agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal has catagorically said that they are deeply analysing the situation and will go to supreme court against the high court order of stay of the Char Dham Yatra.

The court had to intervene in view of the spike in dreaded pandemic giving the reference of Haridwar Mahakumbh that worked as super spreader of Covid 19 leading to tremendous infections and Covid 19 related fatalities. In its order the Uttarakhand government has said that as per the High Court’s order of June 28 th the Chardham Yatra is being postponed till further orders. It means that the Yatra to be started from 1st July has been postponed till further orders.The government order also mentions about strict adherence to five fold strategy in the state after the latest lockdown opens viz test, track n test, vaccination and following of Covid appropriate behaviour and general directives for Covid 19 behaviour.

According to agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal, the official spokesman of the Uttarakhand government after deeply analysing the case they will file a petition in the apex court as the Chardham Yatra was designed very cautiously strictly obeying all the Covid 19 norms with only 750 pilgrims allowed to go with the deployment of officers of local administration, Devasthan board n police etc inorder to strictly follow the Covid 19 norms.

But since now the government has received the high court order of stay it will go to the Supreme court against this order said Subodh Uniyal, Agriculture minister of Uttarakhand.

It may be recalled that when the doors of historic Badrinath and Kedarnath temples were opened in April the high court has taken a very serious view of the temple pujaries not following the requisite pandemic norms like wearing masks and maintaining physical distance etc reprimanding them as the court has directed to show the live spiritual performance on the opening day of the four historic Shrines.

In Haridwar Mahakumbh too there had been lot of laxity and negligence by the state administration not only during Mahakumbh but also in terms of taking a decision to let the festival happen where more than 9 million seers, saints n pilgrims took bath in the Ganges, throwing to winds the necessary Covid regulations.

Sounds shocking that in April only about 1.3 persons were infected with Covid and subsequent fatalities in various parts of the country including Uttarakhand say sources. Today in Uttarakhand there are more than 3.5 lakh cases and about 7.5 fatalities.

Pic courtsey : Bar n Bench