HC DISPOSES OF PIL AGAINST THE RALLY

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking direction to the state to take necessary steps to maintain law and order during BJP chief Amit Shah’s visit to Jind on February 15. The party’s state unit plans a bike rally of an estimated 1 lakh workers to welcome him.

The petition was disposed of after state’s advocate general, BR Mahajan and additional solicitor general, Satya Pal Jain, told the court that adequate measures are being taken to avoid inconvenience to the general public and to maintain law and order. Mahajan also said efforts were being made to provide helmets to participants.

The high court bench of justice AK Mittal and justice AS Grewal too observed that high court can’t issue directions against rallies and religious processions.

The court has passed orders in the recent past on some petitions related to Punjab, the HC bench said, adding, however, that those directions were issued where protests were to be held by farmers. “If there is violence (during the rally), how will you (the BJP) win election. It is important for them (BJP) as well to ensure that the public at large is not harassed,” the bench observed.

It was on Monday that the Haryana government, the state BJP unit and the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) were put on notice on the plea filed by an NGO, Arrive Safe.

The petition was primarily based on apprehension of a faceoff between members of the AIJASS and BJP workers. Now, the AIJASS had agreed to withdraw the agitation after a meeting between chief minister ML Khattar and other leaders with Jat leaders, including Yashpal Malik, in New Delhi on Sunday.