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Synopsis

The Supreme Court of India today directed the Tamil Nadu government to not ban the live telecast of the Pran Patishtha ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Temple.

In the plea before top court, it was stated that Chief Minister M K Stalin had issued oral orders/Directions to the Police Department not to permit any kind of Poojas, Archanas, Annadhanam, Live Telecast of Pran Prathishta, Bhajans and processions in the name of Lord Ram on the auspicious occasion of “Pran Prathista” of Lord Ram at Ayodhya.

A division bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was in turn told that the state has imposed no such ban.

In a similar plea, holding a special sitting on Sunday, the Bombay High Court dismissed the petition filed by four law students challenging the State Government’s decision to declare a public holiday on January 22, 2024, on account of the Pran Pratishta Ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

We have no doubt that this is an abuse of the process of law. Such proceedings cannot be kept pending and are required to be dismissed with exemplary cost. However, we refrain ourselves from imposing cost with the hope the petitioner in future be more careful when they attend to appear in person in a PIL,” the order stated.

The Supreme Court's five-judge bench which had delivered the Ayodhya Verdict in 2019, in favour of the construction of the Ram Mandir have been invited for the Pran Pratishtha event which is to take place on Monday January 22, 2024.

Recently, citing the religious, cultural, national, and international importance of inauguration of the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Bar Council of India's chairman has requested the Chief Justice of India to consider declaring a holiday in the Supreme Court, High Courts, District Courts, and other courts across India on 22nd January 2024.

Case Title: Vinoj vs. Union of India