CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking intervention against police action preventing the construction and sale of certain idols for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi on August 31, on grounds of the poor depiction of the deity.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Chittaranjan Dash said, “In matters of such nature where there is a genuine apprehension of the untoward incident being created leading to law and order situation, the court would not like to sit in judgment or the assessment of police.”
Narayan Muduli, a resident of Silpi Kumhar Sahi in Cuttack filed the PIL on August 26. When the petition came up, Additional Government Advocate (AGA) DK Mohanty submitted to the court the written note of instruction received by him from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
The note said the police at noon time on August 25 received information from the public and media people about the idols being made by the petitioner by distorting the sacred image of Lord Ganesh, which hurts the religious sentiments of the devotees.
As photos and video footage of such idols apparently became viral the police apprehended that it may lead to untoward incidents. The petitioner and two other sculptors were called to the police station and conveyed that there is discontentment among the public, the note also said.
Petitioner counsel Ashis Kumar Mishra contested the depiction of the idols made by the petitioner and sought to justify his right to persist in making such idols and selling them to customers.
However, the bench observed, “The situation that the police face is one of law and order as a result of such idols being displayed in public. Clearly, there is an alternative to the petitioner to make other idols of Lord Ganesh which do not create any resentment among the local public and do not create any occasion for any law and order situation which may go out of hand.”
Following the High Court order, Cuttack Police asked the artisans and puja organisers not to sell or install distorted idols.
“Earlier we had appealed to the artisans of the city to refrain from constructing distorted idols of Lord Ganesh. The artisans have been asked to keep in mind that their idols do not hurt the religious sentiments of people and create a law and order situation,” said DCP Pinak Mishra.