Hyderabad HC directs DCP to permit TJS meet at Saroornagar Stadium

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Monday informed the Hyderabad High Court that it would allow a public meeting to be conducted by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) at Saroornagar Stadium for the launch of the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) on April 29.

Justice M. Seetharama Murti dealt with a petition filed by Professor Kodandaram, the chairman of the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), challenging the LB Nagar DCP’s action of refusing to permit the meeting at Saroornagar Stadium.

S. Sharath Kumar, special counsel appearing for the state government, told the court that permission would be granted to the petitioner if a fresh application was made. 

He added that the stadium could accommodate only 5,000 people, and organisers of the meeting would have to allow participants to be frisked as the Intelligence department had provided inputs that activists from some banned organisations were likely to be present.

B. Rachna Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that when the TJAC had previously conducted a meet at Saroor-nagar Stadium for the Koluvulakai Kotlata campaign, 50,000 people had attended, and the venue had been able to accommodate all of them.

The judge said that the district collector would make a decision regarding the capacity of the stadium. 

Disposing of the plea, the judge directed the petitioner to make an application to the DCP of LB Nagar with details of the organisers, participants and speakers. He directed the DCP to grant permission within three days of receiving the application.