MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Puliyangudi DSP, Tenkasi district, to grant permission in a plea seeking to conduct ‘adal padal’ programme as part of the temple festival.
K Soundrarajan, member of the festival committee, in his petition sought permission and necessary protection to conduct the ‘adal-padal’ programme on June 5 and June 6 from 7.35 pm to 11 pm in connection with Shri Selva Vinayagar Temple Vaikasi Pongal festival at Vasudevanallur village, Sivagiri taluk, Tenkasi district. But permission was rejected by the police, the petitioner said.
E Antony Sahaya Prabahar, Additional Public Prosecutor stated that since there’s a possibility of a law and order problem, the Puliyangudi DSP refused permission.
However, counsel for the petitioner said the festival is being conducted by the entire village, and there is no possibility of any law and order problem. The petitioner ensured that the festival would be conducted without any law and order problems. If any law and order problem arises, the petitioner would undertake responsibility.
Moreover, the petitioner volunteers to do some social service at the local village panchayat, by paying a sum of Rs 25,000 for the purpose of desilting a waterbody at the village. Though permission was sought for two days, the petitioner confines his prayer to one day, that is on June 5 for conducting ‘adal-padal’ programme.
Considering the submissions made by the petitioner's counsel, filing such an undertaking and on production of receipt of payment, Justice B Pugalendhi ordered the respondent police to grant permission for conducting the adal-padal programme on June 5.
Police should also ensure that the amount of Rs 25,000 paid by the petitioner to the village panchayat is used for desilting the water body.
The Special Officer of the village panchayat and the respondent police were also directed to file a report before this court as to the compliance with desilting work in the water body.
Similarly, the Justice also heard a bunch of petitions pressing for the same demand for conducting cultural programme (adal-padal) as part of temple festivals from several districts and gave his nod.