Bench stays HC judge diktat to allow day-long Marina stir
TN: Citizens Can Protest, But Cops Will Fix Venue
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: 29.04.2018
Hours after a single judge of the Madras HC permitted farmer leader Ayyakannu to stage a day-long hunger strike on the Marina Beach, sparking fears that it could set a precedent for all those seeking attention to their cause making a beeline for the famous sands, a division bench of the court on Saturday granted an interim stay on the order following an appeal by the state government.
With the January 2017 Marina protests which drew unprecedented crowds and ended in violence still fresh in the mind, the Edappadi K Palaniswami government, already grappling with the oppositionsponsored Cauvery protests across the state, put up a strong defence against allowing any agitation on the Marina beach.
The high drama in the court, which is is scheduled to close for a month-long vacation from Sunday, began around 3.30pm when Justice T Raja partially allowed the plea moved by Ayyakannu. The judge directed the state to permit him to stage a protest for a day on the beach demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
FLOODGATES: The jallikattu protest launched initially by a small group had turned into a massive show of strength, the state told the court
Shun politics from colleges, says govt
The collegiate education department has asked colleges in the state not to allow their campuses to be misused for propagating political ideologies. Director of collegiate education JManjula has asked colleges to deny permission for events that discuss politics as participants with political affiliation were found to advocate party ideologies. P 7
Marina more apt than other venues: HC
Refusing to accept the government’s argument that it would set a wrong precedent and open the floodgates for hundreds of such requests,thejudgeobservedthat the Marina would be a more apt place than the other venues suggested by the government, including Valluvar Kottam, as the resultant disruptions in the traffic would inconvenience the public.
The government immediately approached the first bench of the court headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and was advised to approach a division bench of Justice S Manikumar and Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan. The division bench was about to wind up proceedings, but the judges agreed to hear the plea considering the urgency.
Around 6.30pm, when the hearing began, additional advocate general P H Arvind Pandian submitted that the government had stopped permitting demonstrationson the Marina since 2003, and that even a recent hunger strike organised by the ruling AIADMK in which the chief minister and deputy chief minister participated was only permitted near the government guest house in Chepauk.
Pointing out that the government had identified three places in Chennai for the purpose, Pandian said citizens had every right to stage peaceful protest, but that the venue could only be decided by the commissioner of police of the city as per the Madras City Police Act.
“We are not denying permission for the protest, wejust wanted to decide the place for it,” he added. Noting that the Marina was a place largely used by the general public and the fishermen community, he pointed to the situation last year when a protest on the beach on the jallikattu issue, initially launched by a small group, had turned into a massive show of strength.
Thebenchthen askedwhat the authorities would do if thousands of people gathered in Valluvar Kottam.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Ayyadurai submitted that various protests hadbeen stagedon theMarina both before and after Independence.
TN: Citizens Can Protest, But Cops Will Fix Venue
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: 29.04.2018
Hours after a single judge of the Madras HC permitted farmer leader Ayyakannu to stage a day-long hunger strike on the Marina Beach, sparking fears that it could set a precedent for all those seeking attention to their cause making a beeline for the famous sands, a division bench of the court on Saturday granted an interim stay on the order following an appeal by the state government.
With the January 2017 Marina protests which drew unprecedented crowds and ended in violence still fresh in the mind, the Edappadi K Palaniswami government, already grappling with the oppositionsponsored Cauvery protests across the state, put up a strong defence against allowing any agitation on the Marina beach.
The high drama in the court, which is is scheduled to close for a month-long vacation from Sunday, began around 3.30pm when Justice T Raja partially allowed the plea moved by Ayyakannu. The judge directed the state to permit him to stage a protest for a day on the beach demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
FLOODGATES: The jallikattu protest launched initially by a small group had turned into a massive show of strength, the state told the court
Shun politics from colleges, says govt
The collegiate education department has asked colleges in the state not to allow their campuses to be misused for propagating political ideologies. Director of collegiate education JManjula has asked colleges to deny permission for events that discuss politics as participants with political affiliation were found to advocate party ideologies. P 7
Marina more apt than other venues: HC
Refusing to accept the government’s argument that it would set a wrong precedent and open the floodgates for hundreds of such requests,thejudgeobservedthat the Marina would be a more apt place than the other venues suggested by the government, including Valluvar Kottam, as the resultant disruptions in the traffic would inconvenience the public.
The government immediately approached the first bench of the court headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and was advised to approach a division bench of Justice S Manikumar and Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan. The division bench was about to wind up proceedings, but the judges agreed to hear the plea considering the urgency.
Around 6.30pm, when the hearing began, additional advocate general P H Arvind Pandian submitted that the government had stopped permitting demonstrationson the Marina since 2003, and that even a recent hunger strike organised by the ruling AIADMK in which the chief minister and deputy chief minister participated was only permitted near the government guest house in Chepauk.
Pointing out that the government had identified three places in Chennai for the purpose, Pandian said citizens had every right to stage peaceful protest, but that the venue could only be decided by the commissioner of police of the city as per the Madras City Police Act.
“We are not denying permission for the protest, wejust wanted to decide the place for it,” he added. Noting that the Marina was a place largely used by the general public and the fishermen community, he pointed to the situation last year when a protest on the beach on the jallikattu issue, initially launched by a small group, had turned into a massive show of strength.
Thebenchthen askedwhat the authorities would do if thousands of people gathered in Valluvar Kottam.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Ayyadurai submitted that various protests hadbeen stagedon theMarina both before and after Independence.
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