The Allahabad High Court verdict allowing prayers on private land without prior police permission has come as a shot in the arm for minorities bodies in the State. Both Christian and Muslim bodies have hailed the verdict, calling it a “light at the end of a tunnel” and “a warning against arbitrary police action”.
Earlier, the Allahabad High Court dealing with two similar petitions moved by Maranatha Full Gospel Ministries and Emmanuel Grace Charitable Trust, ruled that holding of prayers within private premises was allowed by law and there was no need for seeking prior permission of the authorities. A Division Bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Siddharth Nandan ruled, “There is no need to take permission to hold a religious prayer meeting on private property.”
Noted Christian and human rights activist and All India Christian Council leader, John Dayal, called it “a slap on the government”.
“What you do inside your home, what you eat, how you dress is a personal matter. Why should any permission be needed? The fact that the Allahabad High Court had to step in to restore this basic freedom says a lot about where have we come as a nation,” he said.
Welcoming the verdict, Mr. Dayal called upon the authorities to paste the verdict at police stations across the State. “That will ensure the local police do not disturb any prayer services. Otherwise, all this is written in our Constitution,” Mr. Dayal said.
