Andhra HC stays state govt’s order of funding Christian pilgrimages
July 22nd, 2009 - 7:00 pm ICT by ANIHyderabad, July 23 (ANI): Staying the state government’s order of providing financial assistance to Christian pilgrimage to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday ruled that the state government should not spend public money for any such pilgrimage.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice A R Dave gave this ruling in response to a Public Interest Litigation challenging the constitutional validity of the order issued by the minorities welfare department on July 21 last year.
The petitioner argued that a secular state couldn’t fund a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and other holy places.
He contended that the Indian Constitution in Article 266 clearly states how the funds of the state could be spent.
Under the last year’s order, the state government had announced a financial assistance of 20,000 rupees to each Christian pilgrim undertaking a seven-day tour to Jordan and Israel.
The first batch of 51 Christian pilgrims had undertaken the pilgrimage with government assistance in November last year. The total cost of the pilgrimage was 56,000 rupees per pilgrim.
The pilgrimage includes visits to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Jordan River, Dead Sea and theSea of Galilee and other important places connected with the life of Jesus Christ.
The state government had allocated 20 million rupees for the purpose in its 2008-09 Budget. (ANI)
- Andhra High Court stays state funding of Christian pilgrimage - Jul 22, 2009
- First batch of Christian pilgrims from Andhra leaves for Jerusalem - Nov 25, 2008
- YSR leaves for pilgrimage to Israel - May 27, 2009
- Israel braces for tourist influx on Christmas - Dec 25, 2010
- Christians Begin Holy Week Observance - Mar 29, 2010
- Amritsar to join Green Pilgrim Cities movement - Oct 28, 2011
- Pawan To Shoot In Jerusalem - Jul 08, 2010
- Preparations for 2012 Amarnath pilgrimage begin - Oct 16, 2011
- Jayalalithaa woos Christians - Dec 23, 2010
- Preparations begin for Amarnath pilgrimage - Mar 21, 2012
- Ancient rediscovered text 'Revelation of the Magi' calls Christ a 'star-child' - Dec 24, 2010
- Jews not responsible for Jesus' death, says Pope - Mar 03, 2011
- Amarnath yatra begins - Jun 28, 2011
- Image found in Jordanian cave could be the first-ever portrait of Jesus - Apr 03, 2011
- Amarnath pilgrims court risks for a glimpse of Shiva - Jul 04, 2011
Tags: andhra pradesh high court, christian pilgrim, christian pilgrimage, christian pilgrimages, christian pilgrims, constitutional validity, division bench, government assistance, holy places, indian constitution, jordan river, life of jesus, life of jesus christ, pilgrimage to jerusalem, public interest litigation, public money, secular state, state govt, thesea, welfare department