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| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) shall consider expeditiously 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.
Justice Prathiba M. Singh gave the order on a plea by NGO RR Patil Foundation challenging the ASI decision to refuse to accord it permission to hold the event at Agra Fort.
The Central government counsel stated that a private body cannot be permitted to organise a cultural programme at the Agra Fort. The counsel said 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 counsel representing the NGO, however, argued that the event has received support from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
“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 high court, however, clarified that it passed the direction in view of the stand of the NGO 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 NGO may approach the court again.
In the plea, the NGO 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.
