The Election Commission of India on Friday, April 5, 2024, gave an undertaking to the Madras High Court that it shall revisit an order passed on Thursday denying permission for an event to release a book on Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai in Coimbatore on Saturday.
Justice G Jayachandran was told by ECI counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan that the denial order passed by a Deputy Returning Officer in Coimbatore shall be revisited and a fresh order would be passed by 1.30 p.m. on Saturday since the event was scheduled only for 4 p.m.
The judge recorded his submission and disposed of a petition filed by event organiser S. Shre Dharmaarghavan, 26, of Puducherry. Representing the petitioner, senior counsel R. Sankaranarayanan, assisted by Ramaswamy Meyyappan, told the court that the event was meant for releasing a book titled ‘The idea called MALAI’ authored by Suresh Kumar.
Apart from the book launch, a forum discussion had also been planned on the topic ‘Professionals in Politics’ and the addresses included those of Mr. Annamalai and others.
Though it was a simple indoor event meant only for the invitees to the venue at Uppilipalayam, the election officials refused permission solely on the basis of an adverse police report, the senior counsel said, contending that the police had unnecessarily feared disturbance to law and order.
During the course of hearing, Justice Jayachandran asked an Additional Public Prosecutor to advise the police to be not rigid while granting permission even for such simple indoor events. “If the police cannot provide security even for a book release event, then what is the purpose of their existence?” he asked.
