Bombay HC rejects plea challenging Maharashtra govt's decision to declare holiday for Ayodhya Ram Temple on Jan 22

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Saturday dismissed a petition filed by four law students challenging the Maharashtra government's decision to declare a public holiday on January 22, the day of 'Pran Pratishtha' at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Four law students, Shivangi Agarwal, 20, Satyajit Salve, 21, Vedant Agrawal, 19, and Khushi Bangla, 21, have challenged the Maharashtra government's decision, claiming that the state government's decison is arbitrary.
They further claimed that it is not in the power of the state government to announce such a holiday.
However, Maharashtra is not alone in declaring a public holiday for the Pran Pratishtha of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Several states and union territories including national capital Delhi, Jammu-Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryan and Assam are also on board, with the central government offices having a half-working day. Public sector banks will stay closed until 2.30 pm on January 22. The NSE and BSE stock exchanges will also be closed on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on January 22.
A host of leaders and dignitaries from all walks of life have been invited to the grand temple opening in Ayodhya.
Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya began on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.