Supreme Court Snr Adv Prashant Bhushan Blasts BJP Funding Of Kanwar Yatra As Unconstitutional & Corrupt: “Govt Must Stay Away From Religion”
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan says government funding for religious yatras like Kanwar and Haj is against the Constitution. Delhi CM Rekha Gupta defends direct fund transfer to boost transparency and avoid corruption.
Thank you for reading this post, don’t forget to subscribe!
NEW DELHI: A big legal and political discussion has started after Supreme Court’s senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan criticized the BJP government for giving money to religious yatras.
He shared his strong opinion on social media and questioned the constitutional validity of such actions.
In his tweet, Bhushan said-
“Govt funding to religious yatras is unconstitutional. Govt must stay away from religion. Funding of Haj is also unconstitutional. Giving funds directly to groups organising these will result in massive corruption. Besides, Kanwar Yatra is becoming a fest for unemployed lumpen youth.”
Bhushan’s comment came right after Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that the Delhi government will directly send money to religious committees that are registered and organising camps for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra. The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage taken by Shiva devotees, mostly during the month of Sawan.
As per the news report shared in Bhushan’s tweet, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the old system of giving tenders to private contractors was full of problems.
She stated,
“For the entire Delhi, tenders were bagged by two or three individuals who then farm out the work. If the government spent Rs 500, servers worth less than Rs 100 actually reached the devotees,”
-and called the previous system “a den of corruption.”
She said the new plan has been made to improve transparency and stop misuse of public money. The press conference ended with her chanting,
“Har Har Mahadev.”
The new system will allow registered religious committees to receive certain benefits like free electricity up to 1,200 units and a financial grant of up to Rs 10,000. The CM explained that the amount of money will depend on the number of days and size of the Kanwar camp.
She said,
“The move will enhance transparency and efficiency.”
To be eligible for funds, these Kanwar camps will have to meet many standards. They must have proper infrastructure like waterproof tents, bedding, barricades, CCTV cameras, fans, coolers, clean sanitation setups, fire extinguishers, and safety arrangements.
Talking about how these groups can get funds, CM Rekha Gupta said that all the permissions will now be handled through a single-window clearance system by District Magistrates.
“Committees must apply for a No Objection Certificate, which will be issued within three days. They also need to provide a recommendation from a local MLA, MP, or a Minister for approval. A group of Ministers will finalise committees,”
-she added.
This issue has now turned into a legal and constitutional debate. While the government believes that directly giving funds to these groups will help avoid corruption and bring efficiency, Bhushan believes that it breaks the basic rule of secularism in the Indian Constitution.
According to him, any government money for religious activities is wrong, whether it’s for the Haj pilgrimage or Kanwar Yatra. He also raised concerns that this could turn into a source of corruption and social disturbance.
The public and legal experts are divided on the issue, with some supporting Bhushan’s strong legal stand, while others believe that helping religious pilgrims with basic facilities is part of the government’s duty.
Would You Like Assistance In Drafting A Legal Notice Or Complaint?
CLICK HERE
Click Here to Read Our Reports on Snr Adv Prashant Bhushan
Click Here to Read Our Reports on BJP
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
