Saamvidhanika Chaluvali (Constitutional Movement) has termed the Gujarat High Court's verdict on observing religious rituals during government programmes “unconstitutional”.
Office-bearers of the Chaluvali were addressing presspersons here on Saturday. They referred to the recent judgment by the Gujarat High Court on a petition by Rakesh Solanki questioning the observance of religious rituals during the inauguration of a building of the high court. The Gujarat High Court ruled that secularism did not mean opposition to religion, and since religious rituals were held for betterment of the people, they could not be questioned, they said.
Convener Lolaksha said the Chaluvali opposed the verdict as it implied that only a particular religion was good for betterment of the people. “The State had no religion. The Constitution stated that the State would not discriminate (on the basis of religion). If performance of religious rituals was for betterment of society, then let rituals of all communities and cultures at government programmes,” Mr. Lolaksha said.
Co-convenor K.L. Ashok said that there were around 3,000 castes and dozens of cultures and communities in India. If any government wanted to support religion, then it should put up photos or symbols of gods of each of these communities.
Mr. Lolaksha said that officials in the legislature, judiciary and the executive should separate their public life and personal life. Just because the programme related to people, who might be a majority in a particular area, did not mean that such communities' religious rituals could be observed. “Officials were free to follow their religion in their personal life. The Constitution gave them that right,” he said.
When they participated in religious ceremonies as public officials, it created an impression that the government subscribed to a particular religion, he added.
