BHUBANESWAR: As Odisha awaits with bated breath the outcome of hearing by Supreme Court on petitions over Rath Yatra at Puri on Thursday, managing committees of nearly 40 Jagannath Temples across the State have decided to cancel chariot pulling in view of the rapid spread of coronavirus.
The committees have announced that rituals will be completed by sevayats within the temple premises.
The world famous Rath Yatra at Puri, scheduled on June 23, is only seven days away and construction of chariots have neared completion but the State Government is waiting for the SC hearing before taking a call.
Both the Centre and Orissa High Court have already left the decision to the State Government. A meeting of the State Cabinet will meet on Thursday where a decision on the issue is likely.
Before that, all eyes would be on the three-member division bench comprising Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde who will hear the special leave petition filed by the Bharatiya Bikash Parishad and two caveat petitions. One of the petitions seeks a direction not to allow Rath Yatra this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the State BJP has come down heavily on the State Government for its silence on the issue. Talking to the mediapersons here, BJP leader Bijoy Mahapatra alleged that out of the three petitions which have been filed in the Supreme Court, two are seeking direction to either cancel or postpone Rath Yatra while the third petition has urged the apex court to grant permission to hold the annual festival.
Alleging that the State Government has sponsored the two petitions to stop the Rath Yatra, Mohapatra said contradictory statements by officials and BJD leaders further strengthen doubts about intention of the Government.
On Orissa High Court’s suggestion for using machines or elephants to pull the chariots, the BJP leader said those are not required as the sevayats and policemen can easily pull the three chariots.The state unit of Congress has also criticised the Naveen Patnaik Government on the issue.
The ruling BJD, however, said that the matter should not be politicised. “The State Government is not against Rath Yatra. The issue is pending before the Supreme Court. We all will accept the ruling of the top court,” BJD MLA Amar Satpathy said.
Meanwhile, the managing committees of Jagannath temples which have announced not to pull the chariots include 12 in Balasore district, three in Kandhamal district, two in Balangir district, five in Sambalpur district, six in Mayurbhanj district and two in Gajapati districts.
Four temple committees in Sambalpur town, Jagannath Colony Puja Commitee, Budharaja, Dhanupalli Rath Yatra Committee, ISCKON, Sakhipada and Khetrajpur Rath Yatra Committee have decided not to pull chariots. Similarly, Rath Yatra would not be held at Baripada, Boudh and Jeypore.