The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Reprieve for parties on road shows

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Reprieve for parties on road shows

Legal Correspondent

High Court suspends DGP’s guidelines

PR, BJP writ petitions say DGP’s guidelines were trying to regulate democratic activity
High Court Bench not inclined to modify or stay the operation of all the other guidelines

HYDERABAD: Political parties and activist organisations received a temporary reprieve as a Bench of the High Court granted interim orders, suspending till January 21, three clauses in the guidelines issued by the Director-General of Police restricting road shows.

These orders were passed by the Bench comprising Justices D. S. R. Varma and V. Eshwaraiah in writ petitions filed by the Praja Rajyam and Bharatiya Janata Party challenging the validity of a circular issued by the Director-General of Police on December 12.

They contended that in the guise of regulation there was total prohibition and that the guidelines sought to stifle genuine political activity.

They lamented that the police were trying to regulate democratic activity and the interaction between people and political parties.

Opposes petition

The government opposed the petition saying that the guidelines were issued after a great deal of deliberation. The Bench felt that the issues raised by the petitions need full-fledged hearing and temporarily suspended the three clauses pertaining to road shows.

Processions

The Bench was not inclined to modify or stay the operation of all the other guidelines pertaining to roads wherein the processions etc., can take place.

After defining road show as a procession of people with the leader in a moving vehicle who communicates with the people either verbally or by movement of body, the DGP in the impugned guidelines said that this show will not be permitted.

The mobilisation of people by organised groups or leaders along the roadside was also banned. As per the third clause the leader or group was not allowed to address the public gathered voluntary or otherwise along the roadside. These three clauses were suspended by the Bench till January 21, that is after the Sankranti vacation.

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Andhra Pradesh