Two PILs filed to stop Pran Pratishtha ceremony, HC declines immediate hearing

Prayagraj, Jan 18: Two PILs have been filed before the Allahabad High Court regarding the scheduled Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

The court declined to expedite proceedings of these petitions, scheduling them for hearings in due course.

In the first PIL, filed by Bhola Singh of Ghaziabad, the petitioner urges the HC to restrict the participation of Prime Minister as well as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in the ceremony.

The petitioner proposes this restriction until the completion of 2024 parliamentary elections and till all Sanatan Dharma guru Shankaracharyas grant their consent.

The petitioner seeks a ban on the January 22 event, arguing that the temple is still under construction, and the Pran Pratishtha of the deity contradicts Sanatan tradition.

The petitioner also contends that, according to Hindu calendar, no religious and auspicious programmes should be organised in the month of Paush.

In the second PIL, filed by All India Lawyers Union (AILU), the petitioner challenges a circular issued by UP chief secretary on December 21, 2023. The circular instructed district authorities to organise Ram Katha, Ramayana recitations, bhajan-kirtan in Ram, Hanuman, and Valmiki temples, along with Kalash Yatras from January 14 to 22. AILU argues that the directive contradicts basic tenets of the Constitution.