CHENNAI: After the 2017 Jallikattu protests, the Madras HC for the first time permitted a protest on the Marina. While the courts and city police had repeatedly denied permission to hold protest or even assemble for any kind of protest on the beach, the High Court on Thursday in an interim order permitted farmers’ leader P Ayyakannu to stage a protest on the Marina.
But the court imposed certain conditions on Ayyakannu. Particularly, it laid down a condition that he should not resort to extreme form of protests like going naked. Justice T Raja referred to Ayyakannu’s earlier such protests in New Delhi.Originally, the farmers’ leader, who is known for staging agitations in novel ways, has applied for permission to hold dharna and fast on the Marina for 90 days to press for the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). But the Police Commissioner rejected the plea. Hence the present petition.
When the writ petition came up for hearing, the court asked Ayyakannu’s counsel to inform him not to resort to naked protest and to reduce the number of days of agitation too. Permission for 90 days cannot be granted at a public place like Marina, the judge said and directed the counsel to get instructions and inform the court on Friday.
According to Ayyakannu, the CMB has been a long-pending demand of Tamil Nadu. The State government had filed a petition in the SC seeking formation of the board to get the due share of water from the Cauvery. The apex court on February 16 directed the Centre to constitute a scheme for management of the Cauvery water within 45 days. The deadline expired on March 29, but the Centre failed to constitute the board. “Therefore, demanding immediate constitution of the board, we have planned to stage a hunger strike. Since Chennai does not have a vast ground to organise the fast, we might be permitted to stage our protest,” he added.