Chennai: Hours after the Tamil Nadu government declined go-ahead to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Coimbatore on March 18, the Madras High Court ordered state police to grant permission for the 4 km-long roadshow.
In the order, Justice N Anand Venkatesh instructed Tamil Nadu police to allow the roadshow subject to certain conditions.
The BJP moved the high court after district police authorities declined the application citing several reasons, including security concerns and ongoing public exam.
They stated that similar permissions had been denied to other political parties, so there was no question of bias against any particular side.
The high court pointed out that the state security apparatus plays a minimal role in securing rallies or events attended by the Prime Minister, as he is primarily guarded by the Special Protection Group.
The police insisted that they still bear “equal responsibility” in ensuring security. However, Venkatesh wasn’t impressed by that logic.
