Justice K. Laxman of Telangana High Court on Monday directed Rachakonda police to permit a rally to be taken out between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. from Saroornagar stadium to Uppal cricket stadium pledging support to farmers agitating for repeal of farm laws in Delhi.
The judge directed the petitioners Pasya Padma of Telangana Rasthra Rythu Sangham and social activist Kiran Kumar Vissa to give an undertaking to the police to own up responsibility in case of any untoward incident during the procession. No tractors would be permitted in the rally, the order said. Hearing a writ petition moved as lunch motion, the judge heard arguments presented by the petitioners’ counsel V. Raghunath and Government Pleader for Home Srikanth Reddy.
Mr. Raghunath contended that government neither rejected nor permitted the petitioners’ application submitted on January 21 for permission to conduct the rally of tractors, four-wheelers and two-wheelers to support the agitating farmers in Delhi. The GP for Home said the police rejected the permission since the rally route was close to Public Garden where Republic Day Parade was being held.
More over, there were intelligence inputs of heightened threat from extremist and terrorist organisations concerning Republic Day celebrations. Then, Mr. Raghunath proposed alternative routes for the rally but the government counsel rejected the same. The judge suggested to the petitioners’ counsel to take out the rally on Outer Ring Road adding that that would get media coverage.
However, Mr. Raghunath argued that rally participants wanted public view and not media coverage. Eventually, he said the organisers would not include tractors in the rally and were ready to abide by any conditions to be imposed by the police.
In a separate matter, a division bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy dismissed a PIL petition challenging the appointment of Information Commissioners in the State. Lawyer Vasudha Nagaraj, who was appointed Amicus Curiae in the plea to assist the court, informed the bench that the petitioner did not show any material to substantiate the contention that Information Commissioners were appointed on the basis of political ground.
