The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved an order on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to the authorities to prohibit the affixation of images of deities on walls to prevent people from relieving themselves on them or spitting on the ‘sacred images or littering.
A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice of Delhi Satish Chander Sharma and also comprising Justice Subramonium reserved its order on the plea after noting down the submissions of the petitioner.
The plea stated that people were using pictures of deities in various places as a measure to stop open public urination. However, these measures are harming the religious sentiments of the people at large.
The petitioner Gaurang Gupta, a practicing advocate, stated that the images are ‘sacred’ to the followers of the religion and that public urination, spitting, and throwing junk is a menace to the public at large and such acts are a violation of the rights enshrined under Article 19(1)(a) and thus, are liable to be reasonably restricted.
Urination, spitting, and throwing junk at an image of God should be considered to desecrate the sanctity of the image of God, the plea stated, adding that it is in excess of Article 19(1 )(a) and can be curtailed as per Article 19(2) under the reasonable restriction of public order, decency or morality.
“The continuance of this malicious practice of using the pictures of God to prohibit public urination, spitting, and throwing junk is greatly violating Article 25 of the Constitution of India. Religion is a very significant aspect in the social fabric of India and the use of revered pictures for such a pm1Jose is hurting the sentiments of the public at large and this will have a large-scale negative impact on the society at large,” the plea read. (ANI)
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