VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh HC on Thursday observed that the police do not have the authority to deny permission for public meetings organised by political parties and can only regulate such gatherings to ensure law and order.
Hearing a petition filed by the BYCP, the court took exception to the police decision refusing permission for the party’s proposed ‘BC Simha Garjana’ public meeting scheduled for the 22nd of this month. The meeting is proposed to be held from 2 pm to 6 pm at a ground opposite Acharya Nagarjuna University.
Justice Yadavalli Lakshmana Rao questioned the grounds cited by the police for denying permission, including the ongoing Assembly sessions and CBSE examinations. The HC pointed out that the meeting is planned for a Sunday, when neither Assembly proceedings nor CBSE examinations would be underway. After hearing arguments, the judge said appropriate orders would be issued.
The case arose after BYCP president Bode Ramachandra Yadav approached the HC, alleging that the police were delaying and denying permission for meeting. During the hearing, Additional Government Pleader Ajay, representing the police, submitted that permission was refused due to security constraints arising from Assembly sessions and exams.
Senior counsel YV Raviprasad, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the police were adopting a discriminatory approach by treating opposition parties differently from the ruling party. He noted that a swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had been held at the same venue without objection, despite a much larger gathering.
When the government cited pending cases against Yadav, the HC observed that they were unrelated to violations of meeting conditions. The judge reiterated that police powers are limited to regulation.