The Supreme Court issued notice to the UP government on Wednesday over its decision to permit the Kanwar Yatra from the next week amid Covid-19 pandemic.
The apex court, while issuing notices to the Center and the Uttar Pradesh government, has asked why the Kanwar Yatra amid the Covid crisis?
The court, said citizens were “perplexed” by the the yatra being permitted at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and medical experts have warned against large gatherings, and urged people to follow social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols.
A two-judge bench of Justices RF Nariman and BR Gavai said “We read something disturbing in The Indian Express today… that Uttar Pradesh has chosen to continue with the Kanwar Yatra while Uttarakhand, with hindsight of experience, has said there will be no yatra,”
“We wish to know the stand of the respective governments. The citizens of India are completely perplexed. They do not know what is going on. And all this as the PM, when asked about the third wave of Covid, said we cannot compromise even one bit,” the court added.
“We are issuing notice to the centre, UP and Uttarakhand… and because the yatra is to leave from July 25, we want them to file early responses and the matter will be heard on Friday.”
Because of the pandemic and lockdown the yatra was curbed last year.
