BHOPAL: The district administration in Mandsaur on Wednesday put six conditions for Congress national president Rahul Gandhi to hold a rally in Malhargarh town of the district on June 6. The public rally is slated at the Atal Bihari Government PG College in Pipliyamandi area on the first anniversary of the death of six farmers in police firing in the same town.
A year back at the peak of the farmer’s violent statewide stir, at least six farmers had been killed allegedly in police firing in Pipliyamandi area of Mandsaur district on June 6. A judicial panel is probing the episode.
The administrative order imposing restrictions on the rally is part of administration and police attempts to prevent any recurrence of violence similar to last year, particularly as the June 6 rally will take place in the mid of the fresh farmers stir planned in the state from June 1 to June 10, 2018.
The order issued by the additional district magistrate (ADM) of Mandsaur on Wednesday permitted the rally on the compliance of six conditions, including not raising any hate slogans which could hurt religious sentiments and disturb the public peace.
The Wednesday’s order also asked the opposition party leaders to ensure that the holding of the rally in no way creates any communal conflict or triggers law and order problems.
Also, the administration has prohibited the display of firearms or other dangerous weapons during the rally for ensuring public safety. Further, the order mentioned that, sound systems at the rally should be used in accordance with the provisions of MP State Noise Control Act 1985 and the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.
The order mentioned that failure to fulfil the conditions mentioned in the order would amount to cancellation of the administrative permission.
The Wednesday’s order issued by the ADM Mandsaur comes eight days after an SDM’s order granting permission for the same rally imposed 12 conditions for holding the June 6 rally. The May 15 order issued by SDM Malhargarh had prohibited use of DJ sound system. The Congress president had also been asked not to use words that might hurt religious sentiments.
Restriction had also been put on the size of the tent that can be installed for the rally. It should not exceed the size of 15x15 feet. The May 15 order had also said that arrangements of parking space, electricity, water and fire brigade should be done by the organisers of the event.
It had further mentioned that there should be adequate preparations to deal with any untoward situation like fire, rain and thunderstorm, besides cautioning the organisers of Rahul Gandhi’s rally to ensure that there is no effect of the event on traffic conditions/movement in the area.
Last week’s notice had also added that organisers will be completely responsible in case of theft of any vehicle from the rally venue. A list of mobile numbers of all personnel who would be on duty during the event needed to be submitted in the local police station before the scheduled date.
The SDM’s May 15 order had triggered a political controversy with former union finance and home minister P Chidambaram tweeting on Wednesday, “yadi MP ke Mandsaur mein Rahul Gandhi ki rally ke sharte lagoo karne waala patr sach hai, toh yeh spashth hai ki us lekhak mahodaya ka vivek poori tarah khatam ho chuka hai (if the letter imposing conditions for Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Mandsaur is true, then it makes it clear that the author of the letter has fully lost sanity).
The issuance of a new order, this time by a superior administrative official, ADM, is being seen as a result of the controversy created on Wednesday after the contents of the May 15 letter became public.