Why shouldn’t political parties pay rent for holding public meetings to police for providing security, asks HC judge

The Madras High Court on Friday wanted to know why political parties should not be directed to pay rent for using public spaces to conduct meetings as well as rallies besides being asked to pay costs to the police department for deploying its personnel for security purposes.

The Madras High Court on Friday wanted to know why political parties should not be directed to pay rent for using public spaces to conduct meetings as well as rallies besides being asked to pay costs to the police department for deploying its personnel for security purposes.

Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan posed the question during the hearing of a plea seeking permission for a rally-cum-public meeting planned by Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) at Tiruporur in Chengalpattu district on Sunday demanding a caste census and retrieval of Panchami lands under unauthorised occupation.

After directing the police to grant permission for the event, the judge asked why the political party should not be directed to pay costs of ₹25,000 to the police for providing protection since it was from public money that the police personnel were being paid and they have to perform other public functions too.

However, the petitioner’s counsel S. Shankar said such an order would have wide ramifications and no political party would be able to conduct public meetings and rallies without paying money. He said political parties conduct such meetings only to espouse the cause of the people at large.

The judge, in turn, asked when the political parties spend considerable amount of money towards erection of stage, making seating arrangements for hundreds of their cadres and so on, why should they not pay costs to the police department for providing security arrangements at the venue.

He asked the Additional Public Prosecutor to consider his suggestions in the future. In so far as the present case was concerned, D. Sasikumar, Tiruporur district secretary of NTK, had approached the court challenging the refusal of the local police to grant permission for the rally and public meeting near Tiruporur roundabout.

However, after Mr. Shankar reported to the court that the petitioner was willing to shift the venue of the public meeting to an open ground near the Tiruporur Block Development Officer’s office, the judge directed the police to grant permission by imposing reasonable conditions.