Madras HC Allows PM Modi’s Coimbatore Roadshow After Police Deny Permission – News18

The Madras High Court has instructed the police in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore to permit the Bhartiya Janta Party to conduct a four km road show of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the city on March 18, subject to certain conditions.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh ordered the Assistant Commissioner of Police, R S Puram Range, to allow BJP’s roadshow on Monday. The order came following a petition filed by J Ramesh Kumar, BJP District President, Coimbatore, who challenged the earlier order denying permission to conduct the roadshow.

In his petition, Ramesh Kumar submitted he had applied for permission with the police on March 14 to permit him to conduct a road show for a span of four km via Mettupalayam road, Coimbatore for the purpose of enabling people to meet the Prime Minister.

The road show was to sensitize the people of Coimbatore about various welfare schemes launched by the PM and urge them to avail them through Direct Benefit Transfer without any interference of touts and also promote the habit of saying no to drugs keeping in perspective the recent incidents hazardous drug trafficking in Tamil Nadu, he added.

He said his application was rejected, the reasons being maintenance of law and order and peace and disturbance to public tranquility in Coimbatore in the event of conducting such road show and also in view of security threats as if it prevails.

The order was arbitrary and in contrary to the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of India. The reasons stated in the refusal were not at all reasonable and despite his willingness to abide by any conditions imposed to conduct the road show has been completely overlooked by the police for political reasons, he added.

(with PTI inputs)