Plea seeks sites earmarked for protests, rejected

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking a direction to allocate a place permanently near the Noyyal River on the outskirts of Tiruppur town for conducting protests and rallies.

Heading the first division bench of Madras High Court along with Justice D Krishnakumar, Acting Chief Justice T Raja dismissed a batch of petitions filed by traders, and associations representing several institutions in Tiruppur town. The petitioners pleaded before the bench to restrain political parties and outfits from conducting protests, public meetings, and rallies at the busy Mangalam Road in the town.

They further prayed to reserve a particular point nearby the Noyyal River for staging protests and other public functions on the outskirts instead of the Mangalam Salai.

“Schools, hospitals, shops, and trade establishments are functioning on the busy Mangalam Road. Even though the usages of cubic speakers are banned, parties and other associations conducting the meetings in the Mangalam Salai are using such banned speakers and disturbing the tranquillity,” the petitioners argued.

P Muthukumar, a government pleader, questioned the maintainability of the petition saying that if the court allows such petitions for conducting protests, it will set a wrong precedent. He further said entertaining this petition will mean that the court itself is encouraging protests.

Recording the submissions, the bench dismissed the petition observing that the court cannot pass an order to conduct a protest near Noyyal River as it would cause damage to the environment and the river.