Ex-DU student moves court to protest at Delhi Secretariat (Lead, correcting para 3)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the police on a plea by an ex-Delhi University student that he be allowed to hold an indefinite hunger strike and protest at the Delhi Secretariat as police had denied him permission.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher sought a response from Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi on the plea and asked the counsel appearing for police to take instruction and file a response by July 8.

Demanding rationalisation of rents by implementing the Delhi Rent Control Act and dignified allowances to the unemployed, former student Praveen Kumar Singh wants to go on a hunger strike and protest at the Delhi Secretariat.

The plea, filed by Singh, claimed that landlords were charging steep rent from outstation students without giving any receipts.

But Delhi Police denied his plea for permission to organise the protest, citing traffic and law and order problems.

During the hearing, the police opposed the plea, saying it cannot allow students to protest outside the Delhi Secretariat as a magistrate had already issued an order under section 144 of the criminal procedure code, prohibiting any form of unlawful assembly outside the secretariat from March 30 to May 28.

The court has enquired from police about the security measures outside the secretariat and sought its response on the issue.

The court, meanwhile, also asked the petitioner to hold the protest at another place rather than the secretariat. But he refused, saying he wants to protest outside the secretariat only.

To this, the court said: "There is no constitutional right to protest in a particular area. There has to be balancing of the right of people... Protest at another place, who is stopping you?"