Bhopal. The Madhya Pradesh High Court stayed the construction of temples within the premises of various police stations across the state and issued a notice to the government. An attorney representing the petitioner in the case provided this information.
A division bench of Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain also issued notices to the director general of police (DGP) and others on a petition challenging the construction of temples within the premises of police stations in all of Madhya Pradesh, he said. Advocate Satish Verma said advocate Om Prakash Yadav filed the petition challenging the construction of temples within the police station premises. The lawyer argued that the open space where these temples are being built is a public place.
Satish Verma said the petition cites the Supreme Court’s recent order banning the construction of religious structures in public places. Therefore, the ongoing construction of temples within the police station premises in Madhya Pradesh is a violation of the Supreme Court order. The petitioner’s lawyer stated that temples have already been built in some police stations in clear violation of the constitutional provisions.
Tish Verma said that the petitioner also attached photographs to his petition in which he said that temples had been built inside some police stations.
The Supreme Court had recently said that any religious structure located in a public place, be it a Dargah or a temple, will have to be removed as public interest is paramount. India is a secular country. The bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Vishwanathan said that whatever we decide is for all citizens, institutions, not just for a particular community. There cannot be a separate law for any particular religion.
