The TN government stated in court on Thursday that they have decided not to give permission for the BJP yatra.
On Thursday, the Madras High Court dismissed two petitions: one seeking permission and one seeking the ban on ‘Vel Yatra’ planned by the BJP’s Tamil Nadu state unit. The court told the petitioners that they could appeal against this decision and that the state government could make orders on both petitions.
The Tamil Nadu government rejected the permit for the yatra planned by the BJP. Attorney General Vijay Narayan informed the Madras High Court that given the risk of a second wave of COVID-19 in the state, it is not conducive to allowing large gatherings in the state. He further said that the court and the Union Government had imposed restrictions on crowd gathering due to the ongoing pandemic. However, the attorney representing BJP argued that no specific areas were restricted and that the Center had only advised physical distancing.
The BJP also noted that the state government has said that COVID-19 cases have dropped. “We are not staying anywhere during the yatra. When the government has decided to open schools and universities, it is not correct to ban the yatra ”, argued the party.
Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Judge Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy later stated that an oral guarantee would not be sufficient and that the state government banned large gatherings of more than 100 people until November 16. The court resolved both petitions.
The matter came to court after a Chennai resident, P Senthil Kumar, filed a petition requesting a ban on yatra. He had argued that the event could become a threat to the maintenance of law and order in the state and could result in the spread of COVID-19. The yatra is expected to begin on November 6 and end on December 6, the anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid. Opposition parties have argued that this entire exercise is an effort to exacerbate communal tensions.
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