Allahabad High Court Rejects PIL Against Ramayan, Vedas Workshops in UP Schools
The petition, filed by Dr. Chaturanan Ojha, questioned the legality of communications issued by the Director of the International Ramayan and Vedic Research Institute and the District Basic Education Officer of Maharajganj;
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's initiative to conduct summer workshops on the Ramayan and Vedas in government schools across 75 districts of the state.
The petition, filed by Dr. Chaturanan Ojha, questioned the legality of communications issued by the Director of the International Ramayan and Vedic Research Institute and the District Basic Education Officer of Maharajganj. The petitioner, a resident of Deoria, claimed the initiative violated secular principles enshrined in the Constitution.
However, the Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra rejected the PIL, citing the petitioner’s failure to disclose his credentials and comply with procedural requirements under Chapter XXII Rule 3-A of the High Court Rules.
“The petitioner has not clarified how he came into possession of the official communications issued in a district other than his own,” the Court noted, adding that the plea appeared to lack bona fide public interest.
Stressing the importance of transparency and credibility in public interest litigations, the Court declined to entertain the matter and dismissed the petition.
Case Title: Dr. Chaturanan Ojha v. State of UP & Ors.