HC no to TPDK meet, says can’t allow divisive topic

Justice Anand Venkatesh made this observation while passing orders on a plea moved by Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) seeking for a direction to the police to allow them hold a meeting in this regard at Sirkazhi bus stand in Nagapattinam district with reference to a series of projects to extract methane gas and hydrocarbon in Tamil Nadu.

During the hearing, the government counsel informed the court that police permission was denied for the meet since it is based more on creating a division between north Indians and south Indians.

Conceding to the submission, Justice Anand Venkatesh on holding that the essence of India is based on unity in diversity and that any efforts to divide India under such garbs of protests will not be allowed, refused to offer any direction to the police in this regard.

However, the judge held that the organisers could approach the court to hold a meeting with a different title and posted the plea for further hearing to June 14. The petitioner had contended that TPDK has been holding a series of meetings for public welfare and along these lines had proposed to hold a meeting against the proposed hydrocarbon projects on June 8 at Sirkazhi. An application to the police seeking permission was offered on May 28. But the police had rejected the same on June 5 and hence had to move the court seeking for a direction to the police to permit them to hold the meeting as scheduled.