Plea to stall Kongu Tamilar Manadu rejected

A division bench comprising Justice Sathyanarayanan and Justice Rajamanickam, before whom the PIL came up on Thursday, imposed costs after holding that the petitioner C Saravanan of Namakkal had suppressed facts of his antecedents.

However, the bench directed the concerned District Revenue Officer and Station Inspector of that circle police to file a joint status report in this regard on February 19.

The petitioner had submitted that the conference is proposed to be held at Bommakuttai Medu at Puthusathiram Taluk in Namakkal District, which is only 15 metres away from NH 44.

Noting that NH 44 is the longest highway extending from Srinagar to Kanyakumari, the petitioner contended that there is a chance of road block arising out of the conference resulting in it affecting the free flow of traffic as well as that the transit of emergency vehicles like ambulance and fire engine pose great impediments to the public at large.

Citing a Supreme Court order, he said the power of the appropriate authority to impose reasonable regulation in order to assure the safety and convenience of the people in the use of public highways has never been regarded as inconsistent either with the fundamental right of public assembly or of free speech.