HC Tells Cops To Permit Dharma Raksha Sabha At Balapur On Jan. 24 With Riders
The court witnessed heated arguments between the petitioner’s counsel and the government pleader for Home: Reports
HYDERABAD: Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to consider and grant permission for holding a peaceful public meeting titled Dharma Raksha Sabha at Balapur on January 24.
However, the judge imposed clear conditions, directing that no provocative or hate speeches shall be made and that the meeting must be conducted without arms or ammunition. Justice Shravan Kumar also recorded a clarification from the petitioner’s counsel that no political leaders were scheduled to address the meeting.
The court witnessed heated arguments between the petitioner’s counsel and the government pleader for Home. The writ petition was filed by Sirigiri Bramha Chary, challenging the alleged inaction of the police on an application submitted on January 12 seeking permission for the meeting.
Senior counsel L. Ravichander, appearing for the petitioner, argued that it was inexplicable for the government to recall Indian officials and their families from Bangladesh while denying permission for a meeting intended to sensitise citizens about illegal immigration from Bangladesh and Rohingya settlements.
In the post-lunch session, the government pleader for home placed statistics before the court stating that around 7,000 Rohingyas were residing in the city and that over 390 had left the camps. Senior counsel Ravichander objected to the use of the term “refugee”, arguing that illegal immigrants could not be described as such. He contended that the right of citizens to express concerns over illegal immigration could not be curtailed on the vague ground of apprehended law-and-order issues.
Ravichander further submitted that the petitioner is the convener of the Ganesh Sena Youth Wing of Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti and that programmes had been held at the same venue for over four decades without any incidents. When the government pleader argued that past conduct was no guarantee against future law-and-order problems, the senior counsel retorted that such an argument reflected poorly on the efficiency of the law-and-order machinery.
He cited Supreme Court verdicts, including the Ram Leela Maidan case and the Da Vinci Code case, to contend that mere governmental apprehension could not override the fundamental right to freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Constitution.
Justice Shravan Kumar subsequently disposed of the writ petition, ensuring that the meeting scheduled for January 24 is held in accordance with the stipulated conditions.