BSP rally must not disrupt normal life, says court

LUCKNOW - The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Friday told officials to ensure that the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) March 15 rally must not disrupt normal life in the state capital.

A division bench comprising Justice Pradeep Kant and Justice Shabihul Hasnain summoned top officials of the state government as well as senior railway officials in a public interest lawsuit moved by local lawyer Sangam Lal Pandey, seeking to draw the court’s attention to what he alleged as a “state sponsored political rally”.

Intended as a show of strength by Chief Minister Mayawati, the rally is expected to draw more than half a million people, according to a BSP leader.

The court said that under no circumstances, should routine traffic be stopped on the city thoroughfares. The bench also banned entry of buses, trucks and other vehicles carting party volunteers for the rally into the city.

Besides Chief Secretary Atul Kumar Gupta, among those present in the court were Principal Secretary (home) Fateh Bahadur, Divisional Commissioner Prashant Trivedi, District Magistrate Anil Sagar as well as Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal and Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Krishna.

The two divisional railway managers heading the Northern and North-Eastern Railway divisions here, had also been summoned and told to take all measures for adequate arrangements for ticketing and movement of crowds turning up at the local railway stations for the rally.

Even as the state government has declared a public holiday March 15, the court asked the administration to ensure that students appearing in different examinations must not face any hurdles in commuting.

“Normal traffic must not be stopped and care must be taken to ensure that students were allowed free unhindered passage and employees engaged in private establishments were not stopped on the roads as many private organisations remain open even on public holidays,” the court held.

Responding on behalf of the state government, Advocate General Jyotindra Misra and chief standing counsel Devendra Upadhaya assured the court that the official machinery “would prevent traffic jams, facilitate free access to students appearing in examinations as also ensure unhindered movement of common citizens”.

Seeking a formal counter affidavit from the state, the court has posted the case for April to decide on the key issue raised in the petition - whether political rallies should be allowed on working days or not.