Ready to advance last day of Vel Yatra, BJP tells court

CHENNAI: The State unit of BJP on Saturday informed a special hearing of the Madras High Court that it is ready to advance the conclusion of the Vel Yatra to a different date, if ending it on December 6 is the reason for the State to reject the application. The party made the submission after the bench and the State government pointed out that the date of conclusion coincided with the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary. 

The court, finding that the entire representation made by the party to the state is bereft of particulars, directed the BJP to make a more detailed representation. The court adjourned the plea to November 10 for further hearing. 

The two-member bench of justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha, after hearing the submissions made by the BJP and the State,passed the directions. It was on November 5 that the State government informed the High Court that it had decided to deny permission for the rally as such gatherings were prohibited till November 15 in the State in view of the pandemic.

A plea moved by K Nagarajan, general secretary of the BJP’s state unit, wanted the court to quash the provisions of the Government Order that prohibits such public gatherings and allow the party to conduct the yatra as planned. Counsel for the petitioner V Raghavachari contended that the Government Order dated October 31 was illegal and unconstitutional.

The bench, after hearing the submissions, stated that details such as the number of participants, the number of people below 65 years of age, travel route and vehicles to be used have to be mentioned while making a representation seeking permission. 

“There has to be some amount of responsibility when organising such things. Covid still prevails and the monsoon has to be taken note of,” the bench observed. The bench directed BJP to file an additional affidavit on the detailed representations made to State and adjourned the case to November 10.