Bombay High Court dismisses plea of four law students

• The case of protest against public holiday declared by the State Govt

• Court said that the plea absolutely frivolous

Mumbai – Four law students had filed a petition at Bombay High Court to protest the State Government declared public holiday for the pranapratishtha ceremony of Shriram Lalla . The complaint said, ‘This public holiday is declared at the whim of the State Government, because declaration of a holiday like this does not come under their authority.’ Bombay High Court dismissed this petition. The Court has observed in the judgement, “It is difficult for us to believe that law students who are yet to enter this profession have made such allegations as mentioned in the petition. We have no doubt that this PIL has been filed for extraneous reasons. It is as rightly contended to us it appears to be absolutely frivolous and does not deserve the attention of court,” the bench said.

“The consistent view of Courts is that such decision falls in the realm of executive decision,” it added.

Special Division Bench of Justice GSKulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale has given this judgement

The Court has said, ‘State Government’s decision does not have political agenda and it does not pose threat to fundamental rights. It is a policy decision. 17 States have declared public holiday. This kind of decision comes under executive policies.

The petitioners stated that inferior treatment to a particular religion, does not conform with democracy. In reply, the Government Advocate asserted that the State Government had all rights to declare a holiday.