The Madras High Court on Friday agreed to hear on Monday a writ petition filed by the DMK, seeking police permission for public meetings against the ruling party at 118 places across the State on October 3 and 4, under the title ‘Commission, Collection, Corruption.’
Justice R. Mahadevan accepted a request by senior counsel P. Wilson, for the DMK, for early hearing of the case due to paucity of time, and asked him to serve the papers in advance on the government counsel concerned. The Home Secretary and the Director General of Police were listed as respondents to the case. Filing an affidavit in support of the writ petition, the party’s organisation secretary R.S. Bharathi said the party’s propaganda secretaries ‘Tiruchi’ N. Siva and A. Raja issued a notification on Sunday, instructing district secretaries of the party to conduct public meetings at 118 places to highlight the “corrupt practices” of the ruling dispensation.
The names of the speakers for each of the 118 events were disclosed in the notification. However, police officials had refused permission, with the Deputy Superintendents of Police of Kulithalai, Karur and Perambalur sub-divisions passing written orders rejecting permission for the meetings. They claimed to have received credible information that delivering speeches on the topic mentioned by the petitioner party would lead to law and order issues. They also feared the possibility of anti-social elements attempting to disturb public peace and causing damage to public property.
Criticising the reasons cited by the officials for denying permission, Mr. Bharathi contended that it was the duty of the police to maintain law and order, and that this could not be cited as a reason for stifling democratic dissent.