SC Criticises Kerala For Easing Curbs For Bakrid, Says Follow Kanwar Yatra Case Orders

Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised the Kerala government for relaxing COVID-19 restrictions for Bakrid despite the high test positivity rate in certain areas.

Terming its decision as “wholly uncalled for”, the Supreme Court warned Kerala that it will take action if the easing of curbs leads to further spread of the virus.

A bench of Justices RF Nariman and BR Gavai said that it is shocking that the Kerala government has accepted the traders’ demand for relaxation in the lockdown rules.

The Supreme Court said that “any kind of pressure cannot infringe the most precious right to life of the citizens of India if any untoward incident happens any public can bring it to our notice and act accordingly,” the Supreme Court said, adding that the citizenry of India has been laid bare to the nationwide pandemic by a grant of such relaxations by the Kerala government.

The Supreme Court’s warning comes amid the second wave of the pandemic, while the third wave’s warning continues. The WHO recently acknowledged that the world is already witnessing the early stages of the third wave of the coronavirus outbreak.

“We direct Kerala to take note of Article 21 read with Article 144 of the Constitution of India and comply with our orders given in the Kanvad Yatra case,” the bench ordered.

The bench was hearing an application that raised the issue of relaxation in Kerala ahead of Bakrid. The top court had last week taken suo motu cognizance of earlier media reports on the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to allow Kanwar Yatra amid the pandemic.

Uttar Pradesh later decided to cancel the Kanwar Yatra celebrations, directing the Kanwariyas to organize the annual yatra in a “symbolic” manner.

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