MP condemns city police for asking outfits not to protest

Coimbatore: MP P R Natarajan condemned the city police for demanding members of various outfits to submit a letter stating they would not involve in any public protests hereafter. He, along with the members of various social and political outfits, petitioned city police commissioner Deepak M Damor in this regard on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Natarajan said the public had the right to protest in a peaceful manner to express dissent against governments’ anti-people policies. “Police should stop threatening the public. It is a way of suppressing the people’s right to protest.”
The MP said the city police had been visiting the houses of members of various outfits early in the morning and summoning them to police station, stating they wanted to conduct an inquiry into their involvement in protests. “When they appear at police stations, cops demand them to submit a letter under Section 41 A(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that they would not involve any kind of protest henceforth.”
Natarajan said police were misusing the CrPC section to suppress the voice of people that was guaranteed by the constitution.
Receiving the petition, the city police commissioner informed them that the CrPC section was invoked mainly because of the pandemic situation.