The much-publicised Ram Rajya Rath Yatra that showcased an altered vehicle as a model of the proposed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is prima facie a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, say officials in the State Transport Authority (STA).
The yatra, organised by the Maharashtra-based Shri Ramdas Mission Universal Society, began its journey from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on February 13 and is set to culminate at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on Friday after a 41-day road trip across six States. It entered the State amid tight security a couple of days ago and reached Nagercoil on Wednesday evening after visiting Madurai, Rameswaram and Tirunelveli.
Officials in the STA say that the rath neither came under the class of transport vehicle nor non-transport vehicle.
If it were a registered vehicle, the number plate should have been displayed in the front, rear and sides prominently. If the chassis/engine belonged to a goods carrier, transporting passengers, sadhus in this case, was not permitted.
“It appears that the chassis of a heavy vehicle has been altered and modified into a temple on wheels. Any alteration of a registered vehicle should be for a specific purpose like ambulanceor fire tenders. A mobile temple, as claimed by the organisers, is not mentioned in the list of permitted modifications,” a road transport official told The Hindu .
The police are empowered under Section 207 of the M.V. Act to seize the vehicle.
‘Alteration’ of a vehicle means a change in the structure of the vehicle, which results in changes to its basic features. Section 52 of the Act says “no owner of a motor vehicle shall so alter the vehicle that the particulars contained in the certificate of registration are at variance with those originally specified by the manufacturer.”
Original papers
Even if the original vehicle, which seems to have been modified to look like the prototype of the promised Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, had been registered with fitness certificate and insurance, the validity of the same would cease to exist once the alteration is done.
“If the number plate is not displayed, the vehicle will be treated as an unregistered vehicle. Our enquiries revealed that the organisers did not get the permission of the police to enter Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts,” the official said.
