- Saturday, May 04, 2024
The bench sought a response from the Modi government, the government of the state of Rajasthan, and the Delhi Police on blanket orders prohibiting public gatherings ahead of polls.
By: Twinkle Roy
THE Indian apex court on Friday (19) directed all district magistrates and authorities concerned to decide within three days on applications seeking permission to conduct election-awareness programmes.
In light of the ‘blanket orders’ passed by India’s state governments and local administrative bodies on such gatherings, the court expressed surprise.
During the hearing of public interest litigations filed by social activists Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey, Justice BR Gavai, who headed the top court’s bench, asked advocate Prashant Bhushan who was appearing for the petitioners, “How can such orders be issued?”
Read: First phase of India election ends with nearly 64% voter turnout
The bench, including Justice Sandeep Mehta, sought a response from the federal government, the government of the state of Rajasthan, and Delhi Police.
The court issued a pan-India interim order directing local authorities to deal with such applications within three days.
The Rajasthan government, which is under prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, recently ordered a blanket ban on election-related awareness programmes.
“Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners states that though in pursuance to the clauses in the impugned order applications for permission to conduct democracy yatra and/or public meetings for educating the public with regard to elections have been made to the concerned authorities but the same have not yet been decided.”
Read: Sporadic violence, gunfire in India’s Bengal, Manipur as world’s largest democracy votes
“By way of an interim order, if any person makes such an application before the competent authority, the same shall be decided within a period of three days from making of such an application,” Justice Gavai said while dictating the order.
Filed through counsel Prasanna S, the petition sought redressal of the grievance related to “the indiscriminate practice of magistrates and state governments to pass blanket orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, to prohibit any and all meetings, gatherings, processions, or dharnas ahead of every Lok Sabha or Assembly election and until the declaration of results”.
The petitioners said blanket prohibitory orders restrict the public from engaging in discussions about their plight and organising awareness programmes on issues ahead of the elections.
India’s marathon seven-phase national election kicked off the same day with 102 parliamentary constituencies going to polling.
(With PTI inputs)
