The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Call to enforce High Court ban on rallies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 12, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Call to enforce High Court ban on rallies

Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chamber of Commerce, Thiruvananthapuram, has expressed anguish over the Government's failure to enforce the High Court ban on rallies and demonstrations on the Mahatma Gandhi road in front of the State Secretariat. A press note issued by the Chamber here on Thursday said the all- party meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to discuss the issue had failed to come up with a decisive verdict.

The meeting had decided to insist on prior clearance to hold rallies and to ensure that rallyists stick to one side of the road to avoid blocking traffic, it said. But many of the decisions would prove to be difficult to implement unless the Government showed a firm resolve.

"Less than 24 hours after the meeting, the city was brought to a standstill by a demonstration on the main road. This is a sad reflection on the Government's commitment in the matter," the press note said. The Chamber alleged that the Government had ignored the High Court ban on staging rallies issued in May last year. "In Calcutta, the Writer's Building and its surroundings are closed to agitations and rallies under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code. It is high time the Government here took the initiative to impose a similar ban in Thiruvananthapuram."

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