- By Priyanka Koul
- Thu, 25 Sep 2025 03:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Supreme Court on Thursday gave the green light for Ramleela festivities to take place on a school ground in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, temporarily setting aside a previous order from the Allahabad High Court that had prohibited the event.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N Kotiswar Singh paused the High Court’s ban, emphasizing that students should not face any disruption due to the celebrations. The court clarified that, in principle, it does not support religious events being held on school premises. However, in this case, an exception was made as the Ramleela has been organized at the same location for over a century. This year's festivities began on September 14.
The Supreme Court also sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, acting on a petition filed by Shree Nagar Ram Lila Mahtosav. It directed the Allahabad High Court to ask the local administration to come up with a plan for shifting the event to another venue in the future.
The bench urged the High Court to include all stakeholders including the Ramleela organizers in the discussion and to explore alternate sites for upcoming years.
During the hearing, the apex court also expressed its displeasure with petitioner Pradeep Singh Rana, questioning the timing of his public interest litigation. The bench noted that Rana filed his plea only after the Ramleela had already begun.
“This Ramleela has been going on for 100 years and you also accept this fact. Then what prevented you from moving the courts in advance and stopping the festivities? Neither you are a student nor you are parents of the students, what interest you have in stopping the festivities," the bench told the petitioner.
The PIL petitioner submitted that it was only after they started constructing a concrete wall that he had approached the high court for stay of the festivities.