The Supreme Court on Monday asked a gurudwara management to approach the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) for permission to hold Dusshera procession amid COVID-19 pandemic.
A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao, which assembled despite the court being on vacation, said the SDMA would have to take a decision about the process based on the ground situation.
The court, however, gave the gurudwara management liberty to move the Bombay High Court in case of grievance caused by the SDMA decision.
The top court was hearing a plea by ‘Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Board’ seeking permission to carry out the customary procession on account of the 300-year old event — ‘Dusshera, Takht Isnan, Deepmala and Gurta Gaddi’ — with certain conditions.
The plea said the Gurudwara Takhat Shri Hazur Abchalnagar is a pious place of world fame as the last place of Tenth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj, where he granted holy seat of Guru to the Gurugranth Sahiv ji before going to Sachkhand.
The Maharashtra government has told the apex court that allowing Nanded gurudwara to hold Dusshera procession will not be a “practically feasible option amid COVID-19”.
