File Photo: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the city police on why a social worker cannot be allowed to protest implementation of Delhi Rent Control Act outside the secretariat building.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued a notice to Delhi Police and sought its reply on a plea by the social worker that he is allowed to sit on an indefinite hunger strike outside the Delhi secretariat.
Delhi Police told the court that permission cannot be granted as a magistrate has already issued an order under section 144 of criminal procedure code prohibiting any form of unlawful assembly outside the secretariat from March 30 to May 28.
However, when the police said that the activist, Praveen Kumar Singh, cannot protest in that area even after May 28, the court asked "what is the security implication of one person sitting outside Delhi secretariat in a defined area?"
"What is the problem? Is there any intelligence input? Is he a hoodlum or a security threat? What is it?" the court asked and listed the matter for further hearing on July 24.
It refused to give an early hearing as Mr Singh wanted to sit on protest on May 11, saying he has not been prevented from sitting in protest anywhere else.
"There is no constitutional right to protest at a particular place of your choosing. Protest at any other place. You are not stopped from protesting," it said.
The court was hearing Mr Singh's plea, filed through advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, challenging an April 29 decision of the Delhi Police refusing him permission to sit on protest on the ground that it would pose a traffic as well as law and order problem.
Mr Singh has questioned how one person sitting on protest can constitute a law and order and traffic problem and has sought the permission from the court to protest at a place across the road from the Delhi Secretariat.
He has alleged that his application requesting permission to protest in the area on May 1 was denied by Delhi Police without hearing him.