Ram Mandir Pran Pratishta : Supreme Court Records Tamil Nadu Govt's Statement That There's No Ban On Live Telecast Or Special Poojas

The Tamil Nadu Government on Monday (January 22) told the Supreme Court that there is no ban on organising the live screenings of the Pran Pratishta ceremony of Lord Ram at Ayodhya and on performing special poojas, bhajans or annadhanams to mark the occasion.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta recorded the statement made on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Government. "We believe and trust that the authorities will act in accordance with the law and not on the basis of any oral instructions," observed the bench in the order.

The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by a Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader alleging that the Tamil Nadu government has banned the live screenings and special poojas in connection with the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony.

The bench categorically told the State that permission cannot be denied on the sole ground that other communities are living in the location. While issuing notice on the petition, the bench asked the State to keep a record of the applications received and directed that speaking orders assigning reasons for allowing/disallowing must be specified.

During the hearing today, Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu appearing for the petitioner said about the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, "A political party hates religion. That party comes to power. Now it wants the government also to hate religion." 

Justice Khanna told the senior counsel that he was relying on oral orders which are not to be implemented. Secondly, the party against which these allegations are being made have not been made a party, the judge pointed out. 

At this juncture, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that a responsible person has stated about the ban in Tamil Nadu (Yesterday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had tweeted that TN Govt has stopped such activities). "A responsible person has said this. Screenings in temples are being stopped, Even private temples. A message should go from the highest court of the land that it is not permitted," SG said.

The law officer also informed the bench that certain orders had been passed by specific police stations, taking the court through these orders, "This is a general order. Anybody asking for permission, applications have to be dealt with as per law," Justice Khanna said.

Tamil Nadu Additional Advocate General Senior Advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, however, insisted that there were no such restrictions in the state. "This petition is politically motivated."

Agreeing to record Tiwari's assurance, the bench pronounced -

"Issue notice returnable on Friday. The allegation made in the petition is that oral orders have been issued to ban live telecast, performance of poojas, archanas, annadhanas, bhajans on the occasion of pran pratishta of Lord Ram at Ayodhya today. Reliance is placed on some documents in support of the said contention. TN AAG says no such oral orders are issued and there is no ban on live telecast, performance of poojas, archanas, annadhanams, bhajans on the occasion of pran pratishta of Lord Ram at Ayodhya today. We take the statement on record. We believe and trust that the authorities will act in accordance with the law and not on the basis of any oral instructions...The authorities while examining the applications, if any, will proceed as per law and will give reasons for allowing/disallowing such applications."

Justice Khanna added at the end, "We have asked the authorities to pass a speaking order while deciding applications. They are not to be rejected on the ground that A community is living or B community is living in a particular region. If there is any law and order situation, the application may be rejected. But not this. We will know exactly how many applications you have allowed, and how many have been rejected."

Justice Datta also reasoned that if such an order, banning religious processions and other ceremonies in areas inhabited primarily by members of one religion, were implemented across the state, then "wherever there are minorities, they will never be able to hold prayer meetings". The judge also said, "The reason provided in this order is that Hindus are in the minorities here, and if they are allowed to hold prayer meetings, that will cause problems in the society. Is this a reason?"

AAG Tiwari attempted to explain, "It is actually related to the law and order situation. Suppose they want to carry out a procession in front of a mosque."

"You regulate it then! You have the powers to regulate these processions by passing orders," Justice Datta exclaimed.

"We are making it very clear that applications are not to be rejected for this reason," Justice Khanna said firmly.

Case Details

Vinoj v. Union of India & Ors. | Diary No. 3390 of 2024

Click here to read the order