HC dismisses PIL for protection of Lord Venkateswara devotees

The Madras High Court today dismissed a PIL which sought protection to pilgrims from Tamil Nadu going to the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh in the backdrop of continuing anti-Telangana protests.
The First Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal and Justice M Sathyanarayanan dismissed the PIL stating that the court had no jurisdiction to give a direction as prayed for by the petitioner.
Advocate Gnanasekharan, in his PIL, sought to protect and safeguard the lives and liberty of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu visiting Tirumala, contending they were put to hardships and inconvenience because of the anti-Telangana stir.

He had sought a direction to the Centre and the governments of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to take adequate steps and to provide sufficient protection to the pilgrims.