The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed the PILs seeking a ban on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) proposed ‘Vel Yatra’. The High Court, however, directed the Tamil Nadu government to take a decision in accordance with the prevailing pandemic situation, also giving liberty to the state unit of the national party to challenge the government, which rejected their application for permission to hold the event.
The High Court was hearing two Public Interest Litigations filed by a person called Senthil Kumar. The petitioner stated that given the past track record of the BJP and with the election round the corner, the yatra could cause communal disharmony in the state. He also said that there is every possibility that the BJP might try to create trouble in areas where minority communities live. The petitioners also cited that the yatra was scheduled to end on December 6 when the Babri Masjid demolition took place. They also said that there are apprehensions that the Vel Yatra was being conducted for political mileage and was likely to create communal unrest and spread COVID-19.
During the hearing, Advocate General Vijay Narayan informed the Madras High Court that the state has decided to reject the application for conducting the Vel Yatra keeping mind the public interest in view of the COVID-19 government orders as well as the threat of a law and order situation. Narayan added that the state is in the process of finalizing and communicating the reply to the office bearers of the BJP in the state.
During the course of the arguments, the AG representing the Tamil Nadu government stated that there was a representation from a General Secretary of BJP on October 15 to the DGP, seeking permission to conduct the Vel Yatra. On October 17, the DGP replied to the BJP that they have to approach the concerned District SPs/CoPs for permission, adding that the district authorities take a call on the request of the party, taking into consideration the local conditions. So far, the BJP has only approached the SP Thiruvallur for permission to commence the rally on November 6.
With the government making its stand clear by categorially stating before the Court that it has been decided to deny permission to BJP’s Vel Yatra, the saffron party’s plan to gain political mileage out of it, as it happened in the Kandhar Sashti issue, might see a setback. However, sources say that the party could go on an appeal immediately to an higher court and take permission for the yatra.
This is the first time in the history of Tamil Nadu, the state unit of the BJP is looking to conduct such a yatra, in the name of Lord Murugan.
