‘Religious festivals not source of riots’: SC junks plea to regulate processions

The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a plea by a non-profit, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), which sought a direction to regulate all religious processions in the country, saying the petition portrayed that religious festivals were “a source of riots”.

“In Maharashtra, during the Ganesh Puja lakhs gather but there are no riots. Why do you have to portray that religious festivals are a source of riots? Let us look at the good that is happening in the country,” a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justice PS Narasimha said on a petition filed by CJP of which social activist Teesta Setalvad is the secretary.

The CJP, represented by senior advocate CU Singh, said that the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) issued an advisory that prohibits any assembly of men with arms or weapons but the states weren’t implementing this.