Madras HC restrains Muslim body from organising assembly siege

The Madras High Court on Tuesday restrained a body of Muslim outfits from going ahead with its

proposed agitation to lay siege to the Tamil Nadu assembly pressing their demand for a House resolution against CAA, NRC

and NPR. A bench of justices M Sathyanaraya and R Hemalatha

granted the interim injunction till March 11, restraining the the Federation of Tamil Nadu Islamic and Political

Organisations and its allied associations from holding the agitation, proposed for Wednesday.

Passing the interim order on a PIL which sought to forebear the police from granting permission to the agitation,

the bench posted the matter to March 12 for further hearing. The court made it clear that it was not expressing any

opinion on the Citizenship Amendment Act, or the National Register of Citizens or the National Population Register.

The siege protest has been called to bring pressure on the AIADMK government to adopt a resolution in the assembly

opposing the CAA as had been done by several non-BJP ruled states.

An attempt by opposition DMK to move an anti-CAA resolution in the assembly during the session has failed with

Speaker P Dhanapal disallowing a notice for it, saying the matter was sub-judice, apparent reference to petitions

challenging the amended act in the Supreme Court. The first phase of the budget session of the state

assembly is on till February 20. Earlier, state Additional Advocate General S R Rajagopoal

told the court that any application seeking police permission for protest should be made five days prior, but in this case,

the federation had moved the police only on Monday for the agitation proposed on Wednesday.

He also submitted that prohibitory orders under Section 41 of the Madras City Police Act have been imposed banning any

kind of agitation or demonstration in the city for a period of 15 days commencing from February 13.

Petitioner Varaki, a journalist, contended if the assembly siege was allowed and a large number of protesters

permitted to gather near the Secretariat, there would be complete collapse of the normal functioning of the state

government. Referring to continuing agitations, including the latest

stir in a north Chennai localilty, by various organisations opposing the CAA and other measures, he alleged innocent

public were being incited to join such protests and create problems by spreading rumours.

Besides, some leaders of the organisations were also delivering inciting and intimidating speeches, even going to

the extent of issuing threat to the lives of the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister, he submitted.

On Monday, when a mention was made before the first bench, comprising Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice

Subramonium Prasad, seeking urgent hearing of the matter it directed him to file the public interest litigation and said

it would take it up on Tuesday. However, when the petitioner's counsel sought urgent

hearing of the matter before the bench headed by Justice Sathyanaraya on Tuesday, it initially declined to hear the

plea and said let it come through the normal course. However, senior counsel N L Raja for the petitioner

appeared before the bench later and pleaded that it be taken up as the agitation was planned for Wednesday and the public

will be affected.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)