Delhi HC refuses to entertain petition challenging Chhath Puja ban

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has declined to entertain a petition challenging the Delhi Government's decision to prohibit devotees from performing Chhath Puja on the banks of the Yamuna River.

Justice Subramonium Prasad noted that the prohibition was imposed to prevent pollution in the river.

The counsel representing the petitioners -- societies, the Chhath Puja Sangharsh Samiti and Purwanchal Jagriti Manch -- chose to withdraw the plea in response to the court's inclination to dismiss the plea.

The petition contested an order issued by the Delhi Government's Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on October 29, 2021, which prohibited the celebration of Chhath Puja in public places, public grounds, river banks, and temples due to COVID-19.

The societies also sought permission to perform Chhath Puja at different ghats and along the banks of the Yamuna River.

However, the impugned order only allowed celebrations at designated sites and explicitly excluded the banks of the Yamuna River.

The societies argued that the order was illegal and arbitrary, affecting millions of devotees and infringing upon their constitutional rights. They contended that Chhath Puja, as a religious festival, falls under the purview of constitutional rights, and any restrictions on its celebration could potentially be challenged as a violation of the right to practice and propagate one's religion.