# Chhattisgarh High Court Refuses to Block School Prayers, Says No Evidence of Mandatory Mantra Recitation Yet

> The Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed a petition against the state's June 12 order making mantra recitation compulsory in schools, citing a lack of concrete evidence, but left the door open for a fresh petition if such evidence surfaces later.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Chhattisgarh · **Published:** 2026-07-02 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/chhattisgarh/paryapta-pramana-na-milane-para-chhattisgarh-haikorta-ne-prarthana-vivada-vali-yachika-thukarai-4225 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Chhattisgarh High Court, mantra recitation petition, school prayer order, Article 28, Abdul Salman Rizvi, June 12 order

The Chhattisgarh High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the mandatory recitation of mantras and prayers in the state's government schools, ruling that there is no concrete evidence yet that such recitation is actually taking place.

## What the court said
Hearing the matter, the High Court noted that the petitioner could not produce solid proof that mantra recitation was being carried out in schools, and on that basis declined to intervene. At the same time, the court left the door open for the future: if concrete evidence such as videos, documents or other proof of such activity surfaces later, or if such practices are actually found to be happening in schools, the petitioner is free to approach the court again with a fresh petition.

## Who filed the petition, and why
The petition was filed by Abdul Salman Rizvi, former chairman of the Waqf Board. Advocate Dr. Aamir Khan argued the case on his behalf. The petition described the Chhattisgarh government's order as a violation of the Constitution and sought its annulment. It argued that Article 28 of the Constitution gives every individual the freedom to opt out of participating in religious instruction imparted in state-funded educational institutions, and contended that the government's order breached this constitutional right.

## What the June 12 order actually said
On June 12, the Chhattisgarh government had issued an order calling for certain activities to be made mandatory in schools three times a day. Under the order, the morning assembly was to include the national anthem, the national song, the deep mantra, Saraswati Vandana, the guru mantra, and readings from the biographies of great personalities. At lunchtime, students were to collectively recite the bhojan mantra, while at the time of school closing in the evening, the order prescribed recitation of the state song, the Gayatri mantra and the shanti mantra.

## Government told the court the order has not been implemented
The state government told the court that, despite the June 12 circular being issued, the system has not actually been put into practice anywhere in the state. According to the government, no government school in Chhattisgarh has yet mandatorily begun reciting mantras or prayers under the order. It was this admission, combined with the absence of concrete evidence, that led the High Court to dismiss the petition, while keeping the option open for a fresh legal challenge if evidence emerges later.

## What this means for you
- **Across India:** The ruling shows that a claim under Article 28 against religious activity in government schools only holds up in court when backed by concrete evidence, not merely because an order exists on paper.
- **In Chhattisgarh:** Government schools in the state have not yet made mantra recitation or prayers compulsory, so students and parents face no immediate change, though the order can be challenged again if it is actually enforced later.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Why did the Chhattisgarh High Court dismiss the petition?
Because the petitioner could not produce concrete evidence that mantra recitation was actually being carried out in schools.

### 2. Who filed the petition?
Abdul Salman Rizvi, former chairman of the Waqf Board, with advocate Dr. Aamir Khan arguing the case on his behalf.

### 3. What did the June 12 order require schools to do?
It called for the national anthem, national song, deep mantra, Saraswati Vandana, guru mantra and biographies of great personalities in the morning assembly, the bhojan mantra at lunch, and the state song, Gayatri mantra and shanti mantra at school closing time in the evening.

### 4. Has the order actually been implemented in schools?
No, the state government told the court that despite the June 12 circular, no government school in Chhattisgarh has yet mandatorily started the practice.

### 5. What constitutional right did the petition rely on?
Article 28, which gives individuals the freedom to opt out of religious instruction in state-funded educational institutions.

### 6. Can a fresh petition be filed on this issue later?
Yes, the High Court said a new petition can be filed if concrete evidence such as videos or documents emerges in the future.

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