New Delhi, August 03: The Supreme Court on Monday refused lift the status quo ordered by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on the government’s special scheme subsidizing pilgrimage by Christians to Jerusalem.
The Supreme Court, however asked the High Court to hear and dispose off the petition challenging the validity of the scheme announced by the government of former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy. The Apex Court also asked the High Court not to be influenced by its own observations in the interim order while disposing off the petition.
Government counsel CK Sucharita had argued that the High Court’s observation that the subsidy on pilgrimages was violative of Article 27 of the Constitution and the state government had no jurisdiction to do so was ‘unwarranted’.
The Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan said that the Apex Court was not lifting the stay on the High Court order since it was of interim nature.
The state government had announced a scheme to provide a subsidy of Rs 20,000 to each Christian pilgrim intending to visit Jerusalem. This would have cost the Exchequer about Rs One crore in in 2008-2009
One G Mohan Rao had filed a petition before the High Court had on July 22, 2009 after which the Court had stayed the subsidy.
Mohan Rao had said that no subsidy was accorded to members of the Hindu community while benefits of pilgrimage travel were being availed by Muslims and Christians.
——–INN