A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking to prohibit caste-based public poojas and rallies in the State, considering the damage to public property and inconvenience to the public in the event of violence during such occasions.
The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.
The petitioner, Varaaki, said he was the founder-president of the Indian Makkal Mandram and Editor of Indian Reporter , a magazine.
He said the State had been facing communal riots and disharmony, particularly in the Southern districts, every year before and after Guru Pooja, and caste-based rallies.
When a particular community celebrated a day, it automatically created hatred in another section of people. In general, speeches of leaders at caste-based functions led to violence and damage of public property.
As bus services and traffic were affected, the public was put to extreme hardship. From 2010 to 2012, 29 persons, including a Sub-Inspector of police were killed in communal riots and police firing in caste-based poojas and rallies.
As part of the bandobust before and after such occasions, nearly 3,000 policemen and officers, including an Inspector-General and several Superintendents of Police from neighbouring districts, were being deployed. This affected their regular work.
Social activists had already requested the government to ban caste-based rallies throughout the State . Recently, the Allahabad High Court stayed caste-based rallies.
The petitioner said he sent a detailed representation to the State Government on September 3.
