HC directive to police on DMK plea over Salem public meeting

Madras High Court today directed police to grant permission to DMK for holding a public meeting in Salem coinciding with the first death anniversary of former DMK Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam on November 23 provided a sworn affidavit was filed stating that no one would deliver any provocative speech about his death.
Justice K K Sasidharan passed the order while disposing of a petition by DMK Zonal Secretary S Subramani seeking a direction to police officials to grant permission to the party to hold the meeting on November 23.
The petitioner said he had submitted two applications to the local police officials on November 6 and 13 to hold the meeting, but no action was taken on them.

The Additional Government Pleader submitted that Police had no objection to grant permission if the petitioner or the party gave an undertaking that they would not incite violence by making provocative speech about the alleged foisting of false cases on Arumugam and shifting him from one prison to another and attributing his death on November 23 last year to such action.
The Judge directed police to grant permission within 24 hours of submission of a sworn affidavit by the petitioner to such an extent that the speakers at the meeting would not touch the above subject and that they would abide to the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission in connection with the December 4 assembly by-election in Yercaud constituency in the district.