NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to stay the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court’s order that quashed government authorisations for building marriage halls with funds from five temples at various locations in Tamil Nadu.
“The money offered by devotees is not meant for the construction of these marriage halls. It may be for the improvement of the temple,” observed the bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
The apex court was hearing an appeal challenging the HC decision quashing the government orders allowing the construction of marriage halls with funds belonging to five TN temples.
In its August 19 order, the HC held that the government’s decision to construct marriage halls for rental purposes by giving them for wedding functions wasn’t within the definition of “religious purposes”.
The bench asked, “If there was a marriage party going on in a temple premises and all kinds of vulgar songs are played, is that the purpose of a temple land?”
The top court instead suggested that such money be utilised for charitable purposes such as education and for medical institutions.
During Tuesday’s hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and other lawyers, appearing for the petitioners, sought a stay on the HC order.
Agreeing to hear the challenge, the top court, however, refused to stay the HC order and posted it for further hearing to November 19. “We will hear this matter. We are not granting any stay order to the petitioners,” the bench said, clarifying that the issue was whether the decision of the government was right or wrong.