People should not be stopped from meeting their leaders, says MHC and permitted PM's road show

CHENNAI: Holding that the people should not be stopped from meeting the leaders they have choosen through election, the Madras High Court (MHC) permitted the BJP to conduct road show with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi during his visit at Coimbatore and directed all the stakeholders to ensure the road show takes place in a smooth manner.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh heard a petition preferred by J Ramesh Kumar BJP district president of Coimbatore City seeking to quash the order issued by the Assistant Commissioner of police Coimbatore denying permission to the road show.

The petitioner contended that they have planned to conduct 4 Kilometres road show with the PM on March 18 at Mettupalayam road, to meet the people to sensitize them regarding the various wellfare schemes provided by the Union government. However, the district police denied to permit the road show and sought MHC to direct the police to permit.

Government advocate KMD Muhilan submitted the reasons for which the police denied the permission to conduct the road show.

As the road show is planned to conduct during the peak hours therefore, it will affect the free movement of the general public, submitted the government advocate.

The other reason that has been stated is that class 10 and 12 students are writing public examinations and it will disturb their preparation, apart that the place where the road show is earmarked to be conducted is a communally sensitive place and it will be very difficult to provide for the security arrangements of the PM.

After the submission the judge struck down all the reasons as it is baseless, groundless and unsustainable.

Those who are holding the position of the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister, when they meet the people certainly cause some hindrance to the free movement of the general public, however, that cannot be a ground to deny permission, the judge wrote.

The road show is going to take place after 5 PM in some arterial road therefore, there is no occasion to disturb the students studying for the examination, read the judgment.

The PM is provided with SPG cover at all times and they generally take over the security arrangements to ensure that the visit of the PM goes on in a smooth manner by providing maximum security, hence denying permission on the ground of communal sensitive is sustainable, wrote the judge.

Further, the judge directed the State police to earmark the route and distance of the road show and also directed to grant permission by imposing reasonable conditions.