MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday said vehicle pass is not needed for those wishing to attend Hindu Munnani's religious conference (Murugan Maanaadu) on June 21, and instead, they can submit copies of RC book, insurance and driving licence at police booths to be set up by police in parking spaces arranged by organisers.
A bench comprising justices GR Swaminathan and K Rajasekar passed the order by setting aside a condition imposed by Madurai police, which stated that vehicle pass was mandatory.
Hearing an appeal filed by Hindu Munnani zonal secretary M Arasupandi challenging an order passed by a single judge upholding the police condition, the judges said no justification has been shown by police in support of the condition. The authorities have neither specified the problems anticipated by them nor demonstrated as to how the condition would quell the problem, they observed.
"We are a republican democracy. Just as ease of doing business is important, the ease of participation in democratic gatherings is equally vital. The authorities ought not to come in the way of the citizens exercising their democratic right," they said.
Moreover, the assistant commissioner of police of Anna Nagar range, who imposed the condition, does not have jurisdiction over the entire Madurai city, the judges remarked, and added that such a condition was not imposed in recent political party meetings in Madurai.
The organisers undertake to extend their fullest cooperation in ensuring that the event takes place peacefully. They assured that sufficient arrangements have been made so that there is no stampede which was witnessed in Bengaluru, New Delhi and other places recently, the judges said and allowed the appeal.
