KOCHI: A former District Superintendent of Police on Tuesday approached the Kerala High Court against the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. The petition sought direction to the state police chief to regulate the Yatra by permitting them only to occupy half portion of the road in Kerala and leaving another portion for the free movement of the vehicles and the public. The Bharat Jodo Yathra is blocking the entire road, preventing the free flow of traffic and movements of commuters.
The petitioner- K Vijayan of Kollam sent a request to the State Police Chief to take immediate steps to alleviate the hardships suffered by the public due to the Yatra. Section 4 of the Kerala Public Ways (Restriction of Assemblies and Procession) Act 2011 deals with the prohibition of obstruction of public ways. The Act also authorises the District Police Chief to impose reasonable restrictions on the right of unobstructed movement of the public along public ways. The Act also empowers the police chief to collect fees while issuing licenses for the use of public ways. Hence the state government is bound to regulate the Bharat Jodo Yathra and they are also bound to collect the fees for deploying enough police personnel for ensuring law and order during the Yatra.
Rahul Gandhi and the people accompanying him are occupying the whole breadth of the public road with a minimum length of one KM. The movement of the public and vehicles are blocked for hours together and the public is unable to have their movement. If any of the roads are blocked, the entire flow of traffic will be paralysed. The blocking of roads and completely stopping the movements of pedestrians and vehicles are serious violations of the rights of the public, submitted the petitioner.
The petitioner also sought to take necessary steps to realize the entire expenses incurred in every district for the deployment of the police force as part of the Yatra.