Observing that the matter of B.Y. Vijayendra, son of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, entering a temple despite the ban imposed under lockdown rules should be an eye-opener for everyone, including political leaders, the High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the State government to ensure no exception is made for anyone on entry into temples during the ban period.
Besides, the court directed the State Executive Committee under the Disaster Management Act to come out with more stringent measures to take action against those who enter temples or allow entry in violation of the lockdown guidelines to be issued after the expiry of the existing guidelines on June 21.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued the directions while hearing a PIL petition filed by the city-based Letzkit Foundation and Githa Misra, an intervener.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Bench also directed the government to issue immediate instructions to the temple authorities through the Muzrai Department to ensure that the ban on entry of the public is not violated without exception.
The Bench noted that in his explanation to the notice, issued by the Mysuru Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Vijayendra had said that he had, as a vice-president of the State BJP, visited Nanjangud to take part in the party’s COVID-19 relief work. “He wanted to offer prayer outside Sri Srikanteshwara temple. He saw the temple was open and a puja was taking place. Thinking that he could have darshan, he entered the temple, had darshan and immediately rushed out.”
The executive officer of the temple, in his explanation to the DC, said that no special darshan was arranged for Mr. Vijayendra. “Since he had reached in front of the temple during the morning puja, he was allowed to have darshan.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Wrong photos
Meanwhile, the Bench expressed displeasure over the application filed on behalf of the intervener enclosing online media reports, which had published photos of Mr. Vijayendra performing religious rituals inside some other temple in 2018 and 2020 as representative pictures along with write-ups on Mr. Vijayendra’s May 18 entry into the Nanjangud temple.