Delhi High Court seeks reply from Centre, AAP govt over PIL alleging discrimination by Parsi fire temple in city

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of the Centre, police and AAP government on a PIL alleging that persons belonging to other races and religions were being discriminated against as they were being denied entry into the Parsi fire temple near Delhi Gate. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao issued a notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Police, Delhi government and the Parsi Anjuman, which looks after the temple, and sought their stand on the plea by 11 April. [caption id=“attachment_4919461” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Delhi High Court. PTI[/caption] The petition, filed by advocate Sanjjiv Kumar, has alleged that the fire temple located near Delhi Gate Metro Station was “practising a system of apartheid, untouchability and communalism by not allowing Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs, etc to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Fire Temple”. According to Kumar’s plea, he came to know of the bar on entry into fire temple on people from other religions when he was denied entry. He has claimed that there is a notice outside the temple which states that only Zoroastrians will be admitted inside it. Apart from directions to permit entry to all at the fire temple, the petition has also sought directions to the body managing the Jama Masjid to permit women to offer prayers. The High Court had earlier sought a response of the Centre, the AAP government and police on a similar plea seeking entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah. Apart from the Centre, the Delhi government and police, the high court also issued notice to the trust managing the ‘dargah’ (shrine) and sought their stand on the plea by 11 April, 2019. The plea has been filed by three women law students, who have claimed that the dargah does not permit entry of women into the shrine.