After Kerala HC speaks tough, CPI(M) and police take action for blocking road

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 11 (IANS) A day after the Kerala High Court spoke tough against how the ruling CPI(M) held a party meeting in the middle of a busy road in the heart of the state capital on December 5, both the Kerala Police and the ruling party on Wednesday started taking measures, as the petition will again come before the court on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Kerala Police registered a case against the top party leader who erected the stage in the middle of the road and 31 others, the CPI(M) Thiruvananthapuram district secretary V.Joy, who is also an MLA from the district said it was a mistake that happened and should not have happened.

Incidentally, on December 5 hours before the meeting began in the evening, one side of the road was blocked leading to massive traffic snarls as it happened at a time when the schools had wound up for the day and the offices were closing.

What has irked the court is this meeting venue was just opposite the Thiruvananthapuram district court and also the Vanchiyoor police station.

This issue surfaced in the High Court when a petition was filed by N. Prakash seeking contempt action against CPI(M) state Secretary M.V. Govindan and the State Police Chief as the party meeting violated the court’s order that had prohibited the holding of meetings on public roads and roadsides.

The court asked the state government to file an affidavit stating who gives permission for such meetings and also wanted to know from where these meetings get electricity.

It also asked the Circle Inspector of the Vanchiyoor police station to appear before the court on Thursday to explain.

It now remains to be seen how the court, which orally said that it would consider whether the issue has to be taken from a larger perspective, will act tough.

The petitioner had pointed out the meeting violated two previous High Court directives. In 2010, the court ordered that meetings could only be held in stadiums, public grounds outside road margins, grounds of educational institutions on holidays, and not on public roads or road margins. In another order in 2021, it said encroachments, in temporary or permanent form, shall be prevented which affects the right of way or pedestrian facilities on public roads.

This strong directive has come at a time when the ruling CPI(M)’s party meetings across the length and breadth of the state are taking place and in most places during the meetings, the roads get choked and blocked.