In a sharp rebuke, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to make the observance of Karwa Chauth mandatory for all women, regardless of their marital or personal status. The bench criticised the plea as “motivated” and noted that it appeared to be “funded by actors who don’t come forward themselves.”
Karwa Chauth is a traditional Hindu festival observed predominantly by married women who fast from sunrise to moonrise for the long life and well-being of their husbands. The petitioner had requested the apex court to direct the Central Government and the Haryana Government to make the festival compulsory for all women.
Rejecting the request, the Supreme Court noted that there was no legal restriction preventing any woman from observing the festival. “The petitioner has failed to show any law that bars any individual, including those from the communities he names, from celebrating Karwa Chauth,” the bench observed.
The Court further emphasised that such petitions “serve no public interest” and only add to the burden of the judicial system. “This kind of litigation clutters the judicial process and detracts from issues of genuine public concern,” the bench stated.
The matter had previously come up before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had dismissed a similar plea as “frivolous,” imposing a fine of ₹1,000 on the petitioner. The High Court had noted the petition lacked any legal merit and had been withdrawn by the petitioner after initial scrutiny.
