Counter VHR plea, state told

The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday asked the TS government to respond on a PIL moved by Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao challenging government’s not allowing dharnas and protests within city limits, including at Dharna Chowk at Indira Park.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter, while hearing the petition, issued notices to the TS government and police authorities directing them to file the counter-affidavits explaining their stand.

C. Damodar Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that at one hand the CM was saying that no decision was taken to shift Dharna Chowk to some other place, while on the other, the police was not granting permissions to hold protests at the Chowk.

When the bench asked how could the police reject permission to hold any protest meeting at Dharna Chowk, TS advocate-general K. Ramakrishna Reddy said that police was ready to grant permission for dharna and other protests at the Chowk but no individual or organisation had come forward seeking permission.

He said that so far, the government has not shifted the Dharna Chowk from Indira Park, but was in search of alternative place in view of staging of protests at the Chowk was causing inconvenience to the people.

Contending that the government cannot deny permission for a peaceful protest in a democracy, counsel for the petitioner urged the court to direct the government not to shift the Dharna Chowk.

The A-G urged the court to grant time to file the affidavit.

The bench posted the case to June 2.