The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that if a plea is made by an NGO to co-organise with the Maharashtra government a cultural programme at the Agra Fort on Chhatrapati Shivaji’s birth anniversary on February 19, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) shall consider the same expeditiously.
The court’s order came on the NGO RR Patil Foundation’s challenge to the ASI decision to refuse to accord it permission to hold the event at Agra Fort on the said date.
The Central government counsel informed the court that a private body cannot be permitted to organise a cultural programme at the Agra Fort and as per the policy of the ASI on the use of specific areas of protected monuments, permission for holding cultural events can only be accorded to government departments and public bodies and it does not “want to start a new tradition”.
The senior counsel for the petitioner, however, informed the court that although the NGO is a private entity, the event has received support from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and an application has been moved to make the state government a party in the matter.
Justice Prathiba M Singh closed the proceedings on the petition, stating that if the petitioner wished to co-organise the event with the Maharashtra government, it can write to the ASI for permission.
“Since the ASI policy has been in operation for almost 18 years and there has been no challenge to the said policy, it is deemed appropriate to direct that if the petitioner wishes to co-organise the event along with the Maharashtra government, they may move a letter to the ASI which shall be considered expeditiously,” Justice Singh said.
The court clarified that it passed the direction in view of the stand of the petitioner that it has approached the state of Maharashtra to co-organise the event, which is under consideration.
The court also said that if the request is not decided in due time, the petitioner may approach the court again
The petitioner told the court that it was involved in social and charitable activities in Maharashtra.
In the plea, the petitioner had said the foundation and people of Maharashtra are emotionally attached to the Agra Fort where Chhatrapati Shivaji along with his son was imprisoned and kept captive by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
