The Madras High Court has directed the City Police Commissioner to consider applications from MP Anbudurai, secretary of the Thousand Lights unit of the DMK, to hold a public meeting and the conference of the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) on the YMCA grounds in Royapettah on August 12 or some other date.
A division bench comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and M Venugopal gave the direction on Friday while passing interim orders on a public interest writ petition from one KPR Ramachandran of Nerkundram, who claimed to be a journalist, RTI activist and leader of the TN ‘108’ Free Ambulance Service Employees Union.
The Bench made it clear that the CoP was to pass orders after taking into account the capacity of the ground, the safety and security of the inmates of the nearby Government Royapettah Hospital, the earlier orders passed permitting the use of the grounds for various functions, the distance at which the hospital was situated, the restrictions regarding use of loudspeakers as provided for in the Noise Pollution (Regulation & Control) Rules, immediately and communicate the same to the organisers and the petitioner.
The writ petition prayed for a direction to the City Police Commissioner not to grant permission to TESO to hold the conference on the YMCA grounds.
The petitioner contended that the YMCA grounds could not accommodate a gathering of more than a lakh. The noise from the loudspeakers would affect the patients in the Government Royapettah Hospital, which was situated right in front of the grounds, he contended.
DMK’s senior counsel P Wilson submitted that the grounds, where similar public meetings and various others functions were allowed, could accommodate a large crowd. Non-grant of permission was politically-motivated, Wilson argued.
Wondering how the petitioner was able to lay his hands on Anbudurai’s application and also on copies of YMCA’s rules and regulations, the bench directed him to file an affidavit in this connection.
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