HC quashes DCP order on public meet over 125th Ambedkar

: Madras High Court today quashed the order of DCP (Law and Order) Coimbatore,refusing permission to Thandai Periar Dravidar Kazhagam to hold a public meeting in connection with the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Dr B R Ambedkhar there and directed it to inform the party within a week the areas allocated for such meetings.
Justice M Sathyanarayanan stated this on a PIL by Kazhagam Vice-President S Elango and also directed that the petitioner may choose any one of the places mentioned by the authorities.
The judge also directed that authorities may impose any reasonable conditions as per law to enable the petitioner conduct the meeting and said the Kazhagam should hold it in an orderly manner.

The matter relates to rejection of permission to conduct the meeting on Apr 12 in the city. The petitioner said he has submitted an application on Mar 29 for permission, which was rejected by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore, citing traffic congestion and law and order Problem.
The petitoner then moved court for a direction to authorities to permit holding of the meet on May 4 or any other subsequent date.
Justice Sathyanarayanan who directed the DCP to allow the meeting in areas allocated for conducting Public meeting as per the petitioner's choice, saying freedom of speech and expression is enshrined in the Constitution, of course with reasonable restrictions.

"It cannot be stated that mere permitting to conduct the meeting would result in law and order problem. If authorities apprehend any Law and order Problem, it is always well within their domain of course in accordance with law to take appropriate steps either to prevent or to take relevant action in the event of any law and order problem, he said.