Plea seeking norms to regulate religious processions dismissed

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New Delhi, December 9

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a PIL filed by an NGO run by activist Teesta Setalvad seeking guidelines to regulate religious processions, brandishing swords and firearms, and grant of permission to such events by the state administration.

Notice over min age of marriage for women

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Centre on a PIL filed by the National Commission for Women (NCW), seeking uniform minimum age of marriage for women irrespective of religion or personal law they followed. A Bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha asked the Centre to respond in four weeks.

“Why do we always want to portray that religious festivals are the time for riots? Let us look at the good which happens in the country. In Maharashtra during ‘Ganesh Puja’, lakhs of persons gather but there are no riots,” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

It refused to entertain the PIL filed by Citizens for Justice and Peace, saying law and order was a state subject and the issue of laying down SOP (standard operating procedure) for grant of permission for religious processions was not “judicially manageable” in a diverse country like India.

“There has to be overall guidance and no court, except the Supreme Court, is equipped to deal with the national issue… Processions are taken out brandishing swords, firearms during religious festivals,” senior advocate CU Singh submitted on behalf of the NGO.