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HC nixes plea challenging Ramayan, Veda workshops

HC nixes plea challenging Ramayan, Veda workshops

Time of India26-05-2025
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a PIL challenging the letter issued by the director, International Ramayana and Vedic Research Institute, Ayodhya regarding organizing of summer Ramayan and Veda workshops in basic schools of Uttar Pradesh.
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With this order, these workshops proposed in the basic schools of the state can now be organised.
A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Arun Bhasali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra gave this verdict on May 22 while dismissing the PIL filed by Dr Chaturanan Ojha.
The director issued a letter on May 5, 2025, requesting all BSAs to make arrangements for summer workshops organised by the institute in all 75 districts.
Ojha challenged the letter, calling it discriminatory. He argued that it promoted a particular religion. He added that such directives in public schools were unconstitutional.
The court while dismissing the petition observed, "The petitioner, without disclosing his credentials except for as noticed hereinbefore, claiming himself to be a socially conscious citizen and an academic, has failed to comply with the requirements of the Allahabad High Court Rules pertaining to filing of the public interest litigation, which requires several declarations."
"The petitioner has nowhere indicated as to how and in what manner, he came in possession of the said documents, being a resident of district Deoria as the communication has been issued by the District Basic Education Officer, Maharajganj, a different district. The petitioner apparently has attempted to suppress his credentials," added the court.
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