Police can impose conditions while permitting public meetings

: The Madras High Court today said police are entitled to impose conditions while granting permission for public meetings for a public cause and stop it midway if the conditions are violated.
Justice S Vaidhyanathan allowing a petition by one A Velladurai, President, Ezhuchi(Awakening)Tamizhargar Munnetra Kazhagam, said police could also hold organisers responsible for any untoward incident.
The judge suggested that police come up with a series of guidelines to grant permission for public meetings, which included keeping the premises clean and litter free and even ban use of plastic.
The petitioner had sought permission to hold 'a public meeting for a public cause,' including abolition of liquor, corruption and to highlight other public demands.

The judge said if the meeting was for a public cause, then cadres should not intake any toxic substance or liquor. In the event of doing so, police could very well check them by using breath analysers.
They could levy conditions including that participants should not raise slogans for or against any party or its leaders, caste or community or creed.

Participants should not wear attire showing offending slogans, sing songs in praise of community leaders or having communal overtones, while flex boards should not depict any particular community leader.
The Judge said when petitioner's party had been allowed to hold meetings at two other places and the meeting was for a public cause, they could not deny permission at pudukottai.

The Intelligence report put up by Police had no reference to this particular political party which wanted to conduct a meeting for a public cause.
Police said some other persons tried to create law and order problem by assembling illegally. But they did not belong to the Political party of the petitioner. In case the submission of the petitioner was found false he could be taken to task for imposement of punishment for Perjury, they said.
The judge directed police to give permission, leyving conditions after accepting fresh application for a different date for the same cause in pudukottai district.