Insta
Victory For ‘Mata’ And ‘Mamata’: Supreme Court Overrules Objection To Durga Puja Grants
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sketches the eyes of Goddess Durga (Subhendu Ghosh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Supreme Court has refused to strike down the West Bengal government’s decision to grant Rs 10,000 each to 28,000 Durga Puja celebration committees in the state, Live Law has reported. A bench consisting of Justice Madan Lokur and Deepak Gupta has issued a notice to the West Bengal government in this regard.
Earlier the Calcutta High Court had also refused to interfere in the state government’s decision to provide financial assistance to Durga Puja celebrations. The petition had claimed that the government’s move to fund religious festivals was against the principles of secularism.
“Use of tax-payers’ money for repair/restructuring/construction of any ‘religious place’ offends the spirit and object of Article 27 of the Constitution of India. The Constitution of India prohibits the state from compelling any person to pay any tax, proceeds of which is to be spent for the promotion of any particular religion or religious denomination. Therefore, the decision of the state relating to grant for organising Durga Puja is unconstitutional and is liable to be set aside”, the petitioners had argued.
Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of the West Bengal government, however argued that the money was being allocated to ensure adequate safety arrangements in the pandals.
The Supreme Court has now upheld the decision agreeing to the discretionary power of the state government to allocate funds in this regard.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
