If the temples constructed on government land are illegal then what are the status of the temples that have come up inside the premises of government offices and police stationsIJ
Claiming that these places of worship too are illegal in the eyes of law, a PIl was filed in Odisha High Court on Wednesday seeking directions to appropriate authorities for demolition of all the temples constructed inside the premises of government offices and police stations of the State. The petition also seeks removal of photos idols of all deities which dot indiscriminately on walls, corridors, lifts and entrance gates of different government offices.
One Abhiram Mallick of Bhubaneswar, claiming himself to be a public spirited person has filed the petition stating that he had approached the State Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and the State DGP several times in the past requesting them to demolish the temples inside the government offices and police stations. But the concerned authorities have never bothered to pay heed to his appeal.
Stating ‘secularism’ as one of the basic features of Indian Constitution, the 40-year-old petitioner maintains that: “The State shall have no religion of its own and the agencies and instrumentalities shall not preach any religion in their public life and shall not allow any religion to flourish or propagate directly or indirectly by the State agencies”.
Annexing evidences showing that temples do exist in several government office premises, including that of the State Secretariat at Bhubaneswar, the petitioner claims that out of 18 police stations in Cuttack city, at least ten of them have temples inside their premises. The petitioner terming these as public nuisances has alleged that such places of worship have turned into commercial establishments as funds are collected from common people for performing rituals and other pujas here.
Giving as many as ten grounds in support of his prayer, the petitioner has urged the High Court to give appropriate direction to concerned authorities for demolition of such illegal places of worship.