Apex had earlier stayed the annual Rath Yatra at Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is slated to be held on June 23, and all activities related to the gathering in view of the coronavirus pandemic this year.
The apex court, while disposing of the pleas filed in the matter, noted that the State can stop the yatra or festivities if they feel it is going out of hand and added that it was aware of the situation and has passed the order accordingly.
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by an NGO named Odisha Vikas Parishad seeking a stay on the annual Rath Yatra to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
A religious congregation of such nature will be dangerous, which has been specifically prohibited by the state government vide its guidelines of June 1 and 6, the NGO stated in the petition.
The apex court said that the Delhi government cannot suppress the truth and asked why a doctor, who made a video of one of the Delhi hospitals, was suspended.
The MHA order had directed private employers to make full salary and payment to employees during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The apex court had, in the last hearing, pulled up the telecom companies as well as the DoT for allegedly failing to move forward with the statutorily payable dues.
The state government, on the other hand, opposed the plea saying similar matters are already pending before the Bombay High Court.
The affidavit said that the Central government, state governments, all frontline workers, and the entire nation have responded to and dealt with this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic on a war footing taking care of every aspect of life.
The number of cases of COVID are "constantly increasing and at some point of time in near future, apart from existing hospitals, a large number of temporary make-shift hospitals will have to be created in order to accommodate COVID-19 patients,", the Centre said.
