A Hindu Munnani office-holder has moved Madras High Court demanding that the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) be directed to allow demonstrations across the State so as to pass on a message to the Centre to ensure that immediate measures are taken to stop “genocide” of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Justice G. Jayachandran on Friday (August 16, 2024) ordered for a Government Advocate (criminal side) to get instructions by Wednesday (August 21, 2024) and inform the court why police declined Hindu Munnani’s pleas for such demonstrations. He added that such requests could also be reviewed.
Senior counsel G Karthikeyan appeared for petitioner P Siva Vijayan, Chennai city secretary of Hindu Munnani, he pointed out In order to nurture patriotism; fight caste discrimination and untouchability; work towards unity among all Hindus; protect temple properties etc.
He said after Sheikh Hasina’s government fell recently in Bangladesh, this neighboring country has witnessed an increase in violence against those who profess Hinduism. Many cases of death, rape and destruction of Hindu temples have been reported according to his claims while maintaining that it is necessary to guarantee security for Hindus living there.
The petitioner said: “While many parts of the world including many political parties in India express concern about Palestine vis-à-vis Israel; unfortunately there is not even one voice raised against the genocide going on against Hindus in Bangladesh”. As such therefore Hindu Munnani has decided they would organize protests throughout Tamil Nadu.
However, according to Mr Karthikeyan, Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police while Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Namakkal, Madurai, Cuddalore, Ranipet districts police officials turned down requests made by high-ranking members of this organisation regarding holding protests within their respective territorial jurisdictions.
Mr Karthikeyan, appending copies of rejection orders along with the writ petition, noted that while they were passed on grounds of usual reasons as like maintenance of law and order, peace and so on. Such reasons he said could not be used to curb the right to assemble peacefully.
The senior counsel argued that given time constraints it would not be possible to challenge each and every rejection order individually hence requested the court to direct the Home Secretary and DGP not to obstruct any protest by his organization in this regard.
