Rallies and processions should not disrupt emergency services: Sinha

Shimla, Sep 2 (UNI) Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha today lamented the numerous dharna's, religious processions, marriages and political rallies being held in the country regularly and said they should not encroach upon the liberty of others or disrupt emergency services.

They should be made a private affair in the country and not encroach upon the liberty of others or disrupt emergency services like the one that claimed the life of a four-year-old boy recently, he said at the ''meet the press'' programme here.

Mr Sinha called upon all political parties to deliberate and consider bringing about appropriate legislation to curb the practice of encroaching upon public space while celebrating or demonstrating that causes hardships to the common man.

The death of the boy because of the violence just outside the Vidhan Sabha was sad and had pricked the conscience of many far and wide, he said.

''Was the Congress, which is in the government, not holding a support rally on the same day on which the opposition had planned a protest demonstration to suppress the voice of the opposition,'' he questioned? He said it was an act of desperation by the state Congress Government which was tottering on its legs, referring to the state assembly elections, due early next year, where it was likely to lose power to the opposition BJP.

Referring to ''criminalization of politics'' he said his disciplined and silent protest of not supporting or campaigning for criminals in Bihar elections had been appreciated by his party (BJP) and president Rajnath Singh and senior leader LK Advani had recently announced that criminal elements would not be given tickets.

UNI