The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : State funds for Jerusalem pilgrimage challenged

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State funds for Jerusalem pilgrimage challenged

Legal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: A Division Bench of the A.P. High Court comprising Chief Justice A.R. Dave and Justice R. Subhash Reddy on Friday asked the government to respond to a writ petition challenging its funding of pilgrimage to Jerusalem and other places of Christian faith.

The petition was filed by Satish Agarwal and Raghava Reddy of Hyderabad. They said a ‘secular’ State cannot fund the pilgrimage to the holy land of Jerusalem.

The constitutional validity of G.O. 29 issued by the Minorities Welfare Department in July was challenged.

The petitioners wondered how Rs. 20,000 could be given to each pilgrim.

They said the Constitution prohibited diversion of State funds collected through taxes for such religious purposes.

They contended that the Indian Constitution in Article 266 clearly states how the funds of State could be spent and the funding of Christian pilgrimage was not contemplated under the garb of minority welfare.

They complained that the State sought to promote the tenets of followers of a particular religious faith and the money came from taxes paid by citizens.

The Bench adjourned the matter by two weeks for considering further orders.

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Andhra Pradesh