Observing that there is no rationale behind the process of granting permissions to religious processions and programmes by the police in the State capital, Justice Lalitha Kanneganti of Telangana High Court directed the Director General of Police to formulate guidelines on the matter.
The judge passed the direction after hearing a writ petition filed by Jagadguru Aadi Sankaracharya Bhakta Samajam and Tatvam Charitable Trust seeking permission to convene ‘Aadi Sankaracharya Jayanti Mahotsavamulu’ from May 2 to 12 at Exhibition Grounds in Nampally. The judge while directing Hyderabad Police Commissioner to permit Sankaracharya Mahotsavamulu, declined the petitioner’s request to organise ‘Shobha Yatra’ from Shankar Mutt of Nallakunta to Exhibition grounds on Sunday.
“..Conducting Shobha Yatra on the road at peak hours causing inconvenience to larger public is not permissible,” the judge said in the order. The judge also noted that the petitioner’s rights to freedom of religion ‘are not unfettered rights and they do have reasonable restrictions’.
The petitioner moved the HC questioning rejection of permission to convene the programme at Exhibition grounds and the Shobha Yatra. Justice Lalitha Kanneganti said that devotees approached the HC earlier on several occasions seeking permissions for religion-related programmes. “For giving permission, police also have no set of rules and on a case to case basis, they are granting permission or refusing permission without any basis,” the judge said in the order.
The judge directed the DGP to prepare guidelines on the matter and present a report before the court by June 6.
