Law Students Oppose Maharashtra's Jan 22 Holiday, Special Hearing Scheduled

A special bench of the Bombay high court is set to convene on Sunday at 10:30 am to address a public interest litigation filed by four students.

These students, Shivangi Agarwal, Satyajeet Siddharth Salve, Vedant Gaurav Agarwal, and Khushi Sandeep Bangia from MNLU, Mumbai, GLC, and NIRMA Law School, challenge the Maharashtra government's decision to declare a public holiday on January 22, marking the consecration day of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Justices GS Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale will preside over the special bench for this matter.

The Maharashtra government had issued an order on Friday, officially announcing a public holiday in the state on January 22.

The petitioners argue that declaring a public holiday for a religious event contradicts the principles of secularism embedded in the Constitution. They assert that a state should not endorse or promote any particular religion.

"The government's act of openly participating in the consecration of a Hindu temple and celebrating it amounts to a direct violation of the principles of secularism," the petition stated, as reported by LiveLaw.

The law students emphasized that government actions, especially in matters of public holidays, should not be driven by the political party in power's preferences. They argue that holidays should be declared to honor patriotic individuals or historical figures rather than to celebrate the consecration of Ram Lalla, as it caters to a specific section of society or religious community.

The consecration of the Ram Temple has led to varying responses across states, with Maharashtra being one of those declaring a public holiday. The petition challenges this decision and questions the association of the government with religious events. Other states, like Goa and Madhya Pradesh, have declared a public holiday, while several have opted for a half-holiday or school closures. The central government offices will have a half working day on January 22, and public sector banks will remain closed until 2:30 pm. The stock exchanges NSE and BSE were open on Saturday, given their closure on January 22.