Black flag demo against Kerala CM: HC says ‘no’

Chennai, Dec 15: The Madras High Court dismissed a petition by Hindu Makkal Katchi seeking a direction to police to allow black flag demonstrations against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during his visit to the city on December 16.

Vijayan is scheduled to participate in a function to unveil the statue of late DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the party headquarters here in which UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will also take part.

When the petition by Arjun Sampath, leader of Hindu Makkal Katchi, a fringe outfit, came up before Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, the government counsel submitted that the demonstration is against the Supreme Court order which allowed women of all age groups to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala and would create law and order problems.

Hence, permission for the demonstration was rejected by the city police commissioner, the counsel said.

An application was filed before the commissioner by the HMK seeking permission to show black flags to Vijayan at the airport and Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters here to protest the Kerala government's decision to implement the top court's verdict on the Sabarimala issue.

The HMK approached the court after Sampath's application to stage black flag protests against the Kerala chief minister was rejected by the police commissioner.

The judge dismissed the petition after recording the submission made by the government counsel that the proposed protest is against the apex court order and would create law and order problems.