The Hindu : T.N. supports SC ban on public meetings on roads

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 19, 2002

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T.N. supports SC ban on public meetings on roads
By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 18. Tamil Nadu has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court fully endorsing the interim orders of the apex court banning public meetings and political processions blocking main thoroughfares and roads in the State.

By an order dated January 7 in the petition filed by the K.K. Road Merchants, Entrepreneurs and Residents Welfare Association, Villupuram, the court said ``no District Collector or Police Commissioner shall permit any main street or road in the State of Tamil Nadu to be blocked for the purpose of meeting, procession etc'' and granted six weeks time to the State for filing its reply.

In its reply filed today, the State Home Secretary, Naresh Gupta, submitted that the Government sought the views of the Director General of Police, District Superintendents of Police and District Collectors in this regard.

It said ``there is a consensus that public meetings and erection of stages in main roads and big streets in cities and towns should be banned since these cause unbearable inconvenience and hardship to the general public''.

With regard to processions, the Home Secretary said ``processions which are taken out with some political motive or to press for certain demands have the potential of causing violence, including damage to properties and injuries to human beings and causing disruption of traffic and normal administration. Such processions need to be banned or regulated''.

However, the State Government wanted the court to consider vesting an element of discretion with the Police/District Magistrates for permitting/refusing permission for processions even in arterial roads as there might be processions for propagation of non violence, paying respect to a departed leader or mourning the death of a leader or celebrating the birth anniversary of a leader or ceremonial processions.

The affidavit said that public meetings could be held in places earmarked for the purpose such as beaches, big play grounds, open space or could be allowed in street lanes. Pointing out that the earlier orders of the court had been scrupulously followed, the Government urged the court to pass suitable orders.

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