CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has set October 21 as deadline for the State government to submit written note of submission on the validity of ban imposed on Daman Pratirodha Mancha in 2006.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray on Thursday, October 19, 2021, said, “It is seen that there is a Supreme Court order passed way back on January 30, 2017, directing expeditious disposal of the present petition on remand. In that view of the matter, list for final hearing on October 21”. The bench also directed Mancha’s counsel PK Jena to submit his written note of submission by then.
Initially, the High Court had dismissed the petition challenging the validity of the government’s June 20, 2006 notification declaring it to be an unlawful association with immediate effect. In the notification, the government took note of certain activities in which the Mancha was allegedly indulging in, and termed them as unlawful activities. But the Supreme Court set aside the order and remitted the case back to the High Court to decide the issue involved in the case afresh on merits on January 30, 2017.
While dismissing the petition on April 18, 2011, the High Court observed that the Mancha’s works are in the nature of political activities but it is not registered before the Election Commission of India under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
However, the Supreme Court said, “We are of the opinion that the High Court has not focussed or dealt with the issue that was involved, viz., validity of the notification dated 20.06.2006 that was passed by the government declaring Daman Pratirodha Mancha to be an unlawful association”.