HC gives nod for BJP's public meeting at Hanamkonda

Hyderabad: A Telangana High Court single judge Bench headed by Justice T. Vinod Kumar on 26 August granted permission to the BJP to hold a public meeting at University Arts and Science College grounds in Subedari Hanamkonda on Saturday.

On Friday, the BJP leaders filed a lunch motion petition in the High Court after the police refused permission for the meeting.

Advocate general Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the court that the university is conducting an examination on the same date on which the proposed meeting is to be held. Therefore, granting permission to hold a public meeting would cause inconvenience to candidates appearing for the examination, the AG said.

The petitioner's counsel submitted that the university ground where the public meeting is supposed to be held is far from the examination centers and would not affect candidates attending the examination.

The court observed that the action of the police authorities in refusing to grant permission to the petitioner is a colourable exercise of power as they have resorted to different yardsticks for different public meetings without any guidelines formulated by the government for granting permission to public meetings. Further, it opined that it clearly shows the intent of the administration to stop the petitioner from proceeding with the meeting.

The court directed the police to grant permission to hold the public meeting and also to provide necessary police protection.

Justice T. Vinod Kumar also directed the petitioner to give an undertaking to police authorities, stating the number of people attending the meeting, time and place of the meeting, road map of the meeting, and measures taken for the safe passage of ambulance during the meeting so as to ensure that no hindrance is caused to the general public. The court also directed the petitioner not to make provocative speeches at the meeting.

Justice T. Vinod Kumar heard the arguments of both sides and gave permission to the BJP to hold the public meeting.

Bandi Sanjay's meeting at Hanamkonda

BJP Telangana state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar will organise a meeting at Arts and Science College at Subedari Hanamkonda on 27 August to celebrate the end of his Praja Sangrama Yatra. BJP national president J.P Nadda will participate in the meeting.

With the permission of the High Court, after a break of three days, Bandi Sanjay's padayatra resumed on Friday in the joint Warangal district. The padayatra will end on Saturday at Bhadrakali Matha temple.