Chennai: With VInayaga Chathurthi celebrations snowballing into a political controversy this year due to Covid-19, the Madras High Court on Friday allowed individuals who worshipped Lord Ganesha at home on the occasion of Vinayaka Chathurti to immerse the idols in waterbodies, except in sea.
A Division Bench comprising Justice M M Sundaresan and Justice R Hemalatha, however clarified that no organsiation would be allowed to organise any celebrations or take out processions.
The court said individuals, who worship Lord Ganesha in their homes, were allowed to immerse the idols in nearby waterbodies by maintaining social distancing.
However, no immersion was allowed in public places, like Marina beach. Passing orders on the eve of the festival on a batch of PILs challenging the Tamilnadu government’s order banning idols installation in public, taking out permission and immersing them in sea and waterbodies in view of the lockdown to prevent spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bench said people could not be prevented from doing their age-old practices and their religious rights.
The court also upheld the order issued by the government impsoing ban on installing idols in public places, taking out processions and immersion of idols in waterbodies.
The Bench also recorded the undertaking given by Hindu Munnani, which had earlier threatened to defy the ban and go ahead with the installation of 1.5 lakh idols across the State, and Shiv Sena that they would not organise any processions and cooperate with the State government.
When the Court on Thursday asked the government to convey whether any relaxations could be given, the government to submitted that it was not possible to give relaxations in view of the corona pandemic.