Centre opposes Kanwar Yatra in Supreme Court, asks state govts to arrange Gangajal for kanwariyas

In its affidavit in SC on Kanwar Yatra, the Centre says state governments mustn't permit movement of kanwariyas to bring Gangajal from Haridwar in view of Covid-19.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the state governments must not permit Kanwar Yatra to Haridwar in Uttarakhand, while asking the administration to ensure the availability of Gangajal for kanwariyas in nearby temples. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Friday, the Centre said, “State governments must not permit the movement of kanwariyas to bring ‘Gangajal’ from Haridwar to the Shiv temples of their choice. However, considering the age-old customs and religious sentiments attached, the state governments must develop a system to make holy ‘Gangajal’ available through tankers, which should be available at an identified/designated location so that nearby devotees can collect such ‘Gangajal’ and do ‘abhishek’ at their nearest Shiv temples.”