Anti-CAA Agitations: HC restrains protests planned near Assembly till March 11

The Division Bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha before whom a mention was made by Senior Counsel NL Rajah to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) moved in this regard granted an interim injunction from holding such a protest until March 11.

In the intense hearing that transpired, Additional Advocate General SR Rajagopalan appearing on behalf of the state submitted that as per the Madras City Police Act any application for holding any agitation or demonstration should be made five days prior to it and rejection of the same can be challenged.

But, contrary to the said rule, the application was made only on February 17 leading to its rejection. Further the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai City has passed an order under section 41 of the Madras City Police Act prohibiting any kind of agitation or demonstration for 15 days from February 13 to February 28. 

Based on this, the bench granted the interim injunction after citing the AAG’s submission that the application was made only two days ahead of the scheduled protest date. 

Following this, the bench led by Justice Sathyanarayanan on posting the case for further hearing to March 12 directed the authorities to file counter by then stating that as per the Police order the application must be made at least five days prior to the agitation.

The petitioner Varaki on citing the recent enactment viz Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, said the continuous agitations taken by various organisations opposing the Act are spreading rumours among the public about the Act and are inciting them to join the agitation and create law and order problems.

If the agitation is allowed and large number of volunteers are permitted to gather near the Secretariat, there would complete collapse of the normal functioning of the state government, he said while seeking for a direction to the authorities to forebear from allowing the agitation aimed at laying siege to the Assembly and act against those indulging in such unlawful protests and to file a report before the High Court.

Anti-CAA protesters hoisted national flags atop their houses on Tuesday against police action on Muslims in Chennai. 

The flags were hoisted on houses in Karumbukadai, a predominantly Muslim dominated locality in the district. “The flags were hoisted from 6 am to 6 pm to signify national unity. 

Our protests will continue until the Centre revokes CAA, which may affect not just Muslims, but people from other religions too,” said S Rahman, a local resident.

Police said that they did not receive any complaint on forceful hoisting of flags in the houses. Meanwhile, the members of Muslim outfits and political parties have planned a blockade at the district collector office on Wednesday demanding the state government to pass a resolution against the CAA.

In The Nilgiris, Collector Innocent Divya chaired a meeting with representatives of Muslim outfits regarding the protest march planned on Wednesday.

The Collector appealed to them to maintain peace during the march. Police have stepped up security across Western districts.

Students from various colleges in the city joined the ongoing sit in protests against Citizenship Amendment Act on Tuesday. 

They staged an agitation in front of the IG (Central Zone) office in Mannarpuram in Tiruchy.  

Around 500 college students gathered outside the college opposite to the office of the inspector general of police (IG), Central Zone at 1.30 pm. The students leading the protests from the front addressed others. 

They raised slogans against the CAA and demanded that the state government pass a resolution against the CAA in the Assembly. Students carried placards demanding that a resolution be moved by the state government. The protest lasted for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Muslin outfit members continued their sit in protests, which are ongoing for the past four days in Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts. 

The protesters claimed that they would continue to protest unless, the state government passes a resolution in the Assembly against the CAA and the Centre withdraws the Act.