‘In light of larger interest’: High Court bans all protests till Coronavirus Subsides

In times of a pandemic, the right to protest is not confined to the right of protesters alone, but the overall interest of citizenry, said the Madras HC, imposing a blanket ban on all protests, including anti-CAA agitations, till Covid-19 subsides.

“Now we are more concerned with the present scenario wherein a pandemic has set in. Steps have been taken both by the central & state govts to control the spread of corona virus. Even this court has taken certain austerity measures. The issue now isn't concerned with the right of protesters alone but the overall interest of the entire citizenry. Therefore, in the light of the larger interest, we are inclined to direct that there shalln't be any protests/ processions/demonstrations till the threat abates,” said a division bench of Justice M M Sundresh & Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy, hearing a batch of pleas seeking to stall anti-CAA protests in the state.

If any such activity either goes on now or starts henceforth, the authorities shall take steps to stop it. The protests are n't restricted to any single issue or group of persons & are made applicable to all, it added.

Advocate P C Saranya moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking action against Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ), which organised a ‘fill jails’ protest near the HC campus.

When the pleas came up for hearing on Friday, public prosecutor A Natarajan produced a copy of a Mar 19 health department circular & submitted that DGP was i n - structed to stop permissions for mass gatherings.

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