MADURAI: Following allegations that the Thoothukudi police were not permitting actors to take part in cultural programmes during the Dussehra festival in Kulasekarapattinam, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday directed the police to grant permission if the organisers fulfilled certain conditions, including videographing the programme.
In case of obscene or vulgar performances, the police should take action against the artists, programme organisers and applicant, the court added. A division bench of justices R Mahadevan and J Sathya Narayana Prasad passed the order while disposing of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by V Kannan, secretary of a festival group ‘Sri Ambikai Dasara Kuzhu’. Kannan alleged that the local authorities were not permitting cine and TV artistes to perform in the cultural programmes in the festival citing the court’s recent order that no obscene programmes should be held during the festival.
The judges orally clarified that cultural programmes can be conducted by hiring artistes and the prohibition is only for obscene or vulgar dance performances. They then directed the petitioner to make a pre-deposit of Rs 10,000 in demand draft in favour of Mutharamman temple administration for videographing the programme. A proof of the same should be submitted before the police, with an undertaking that the participants will not exhibit obscenity.