HC bans protests\, agitations till July 31

Keral

HC bans protests, agitations till July 31

All-out effort: The police removing Youth Congress workers who breached the security ring and entered the Secretariat premises in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday demanding that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan step down and face inquiry in connection with the gold smuggling case.  

Govt., State Police Chief told to ensure that there is no violation of COVID-19 guidelines

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered that there shall not be any gathering, to be specific, demonstrations/ processions/ agitations in the State till July 31. The Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chali directed the State government and the State Police Chief (SPC) to initiate all preventive measures to ensure that there shall not be any processions/agitations in violation of the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority for the Unlock 2 period.

The court directed the State government and the SPC to ensure that no political parties violated the guidelines and the court order.

The court observed that the police had to ensure that action was initiated against violators as the guidelines remained in force till July 31. Under Unlock 2 guidelines, certain activities, including, social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural and religions functions and other large-scale congregations, were not allowed till July 31. The court observed the guidelines issued under the National Disaster Management Act will prevail over the regulation by the State government allowing social gatherings, including get-togethers, processions, and dharnas with the permission of the authority concerned and a maximum of 10 participants.

The court passed the order on a public interest litigation seeking to ban demonstrations, dharnas, and other protest meetings organised by political parties and others in the State in view of the COVID-19 situation.

3,214 cases

The SPC had submitted that as many as 3,214 cases had been registered against violators of the physical-distancing norms. In fact, no police personnel were infected with SARS-CoV-2 while dealing with protesters or agitators. However, as many as 18 police personnel had contracted the disease while performing general duty. In fact, the positive cases had gone up tremendously. In this context, holding of demonstrations, agitations, and processions by political parties would defeat the very objective of physical-distancing norms. So, no processions/agitations and demonstrations should be allowed in the State, the SPC said.

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