The Supreme Court on Monday said India is a secular country and everyone has the right to follow their religion while dismissing a PIL seeking direction that citizens of the country to follow and declaration of the leader of a particular sect of Hinduism as 'Parmatma'.
A bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with a cost of Rs one lakh which has sought direction to have Sri Sri Thakur Anukul Chandra as 'Paramatma'.
Terming the plea as "publicity interest litigation", the bench dismissed the plea asking the petitioner Upendra Nath Dalai, "If you want you can consider him as Paramatma. Why enforce it on others?"
"In India, everyone has full right to follow their religion. You can't say everyone has to follow only one religion," the judge said.
It said that petition is "thoroughly misconceived which deserves to be dismissed with exemplary costs of Rs 1 lakh to be deposited with this court's Registry within four weeks from today."
Now people will think at least four times before filing such PILs, said Justice Shah said while imposing a cost of Rs one lakh on the petitioner.
Dismissing the PIL, Justice Shah said, "Aap mano ki ek hi Guruji hain. Aise kabhi hota hain bhaiya? sabko pura adhikar hain ye country mein jisko jo dharam manna hain, maane (You are saying that everyone should accept your Guruji. How can that be. In India everyone has a right to follow their religion)."
The petitioner has made BJP, RSS, VHP, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, National Christian Council, Sri Palanpuri Sthanakvasi Jain Association, Buddhist Society of India, Puri Jagannath Mandir Management Committee, All India Iskon committee, Ramakrishna Math, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, parties in the case.
( With inputs from ANI )
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