New Delhi, January 28: Months after the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development washed hands of the mandatory recitation of Sanskrit and Hindi hymns during the morning assembly of Kendriya Vidyalaya, the Supreme Court on Monday mulls setting up a constitution bench to examine the matter.

In the latest update, the apex court has taken cognisance of the matter, whether morning prayers in schools like Kendriya Vidyalaya were communal, and mulls setting up a two-judge constitution bench for it. Odisha Government Sends Notice to Kendriya Vidyalaya for Holding Classes During Summer Vacation. 

Earlier on January 10, 2018, while hearing a petition - filed by Veenayak Shah from Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh - Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice Navin Sinha described it as a 'serious constitutional issue'. Also, the bench said that the matter involves a constitutional question and needs to be examined.

In the hearing, the bench had asked the Union HRD Ministry to file a response within two weeks as it promotes a particular religion. To this, the Union ministry said that it has nothing to do with the contentious practice of mandatory recitation of Sanskrit 'Shlokas' and Hindi prayers based on Hindu religion in the morning prayers.

The whole issue of 'reciting communal prayers' was challenged in the court by petitioner Shah who cited that Sanskrit 'Shlokas’ is rooted in Hindu culture and compulsory recitation of it in the morning prayers was contrary to Articles 28 (1) (a) and 25(1) of the Indian Constitution.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 28, 2019 02:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).