Cuttack: A lawyer in the Orissa High Court, Sandipan Mishra served a legal notice to rationalist Prof Pratap Kumar Rath for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
Rath and few others consumed biriyani on the Solar Eclipse day (October 25), in a bid to dispel the no-food myths during the celestial event. In the notice, Rath has been asked to reply as to why legal action shouldn’t be taken against him.
If Rath doesn’t reply to the notice, case will be filed against him at the High Court under Sections 295A and 298 of the IPC, said Mishra. Rath has been asked to furnish reply within seven days.
In a conversation with Ommcom News, Prof Rath said that he was yet to get any such notice. “I am well within my constitutional rights for food and practcing my faith and belief. I have no clue, how this hurts the relgious sentiments of anyone.”
“I have clarified my stand on solar eclipse. There is no harm in consuming food on the solar eclipse day. We eat and nothing bad has happened so far. We have done the same this time also,” he added.
