MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday has quashed its earlier order of blanket ban on any organisations conducting protests and demonstrations or rallies in connection with Babri Masjid demolition, particularly on December 06.
Petitioner K Shahul Hameed of Madurai said while the Supreme Court ruled that the assembly without arms could only be regulated but not prohibited, the High Court order was against the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.
But a single judge, hearing a petition filed by one S Sankar Ganesh, ruled in December last that “the state government should not accord permission to any organisation in future irrespective of religions for conduct of such demonstration, rally, protest, particularly on December 06, concerning Babri Masjid from 2016 so that wastage of public money, time and deployment of forces could very well be avoided and panic among public be eased to bring harmony”. So the order should be set aside, he prayed.
Allowing the petition, a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and J Nisha Banu said “it is important that the organisations which seek permission for the protests should ensure religious harmony and peace. The police should provide permission in accordance with law. If the permission was given with the court intervention, and then conditions were breached, the contempt will be taken”.