The Madras High Court has granted permission to Hindu Munnani to hold demonstrations in the state, urging the Central Government to take action against the alleged genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Justice G Jayachandran noted that if demonstrations could be held in the state to show solidarity with Tamils in Sri Lanka, similar protests could also be organized for Hindus in Bangladesh. The court emphasized that citizens have a democratic right to hold peaceful demonstrations.
The court directed the State Police to permit the organization to conduct a peaceful demonstration on August 27 between 3 pm and 4 pm, with the condition that the free flow of traffic is not disrupted.
The petition was filed by the Chennai City Secretary of Hindu Munnani, Siva Vijayan. He argued that since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government, there has been an increase in violence against Bangladeshi Hindus, including incidents of rape, deaths, and the demolition of Hindu temples.
Vijayan submitted that while many political parties in the country have raised their voices against the genocide in Palestine, not a single voice has been raised for the alleged genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh. In response, the organization decided to hold demonstrations to seek action.
When the matter was heard, the Government Advocate informed the court that the situation in Bangladesh had improved after the interim government took charge, rendering the demonstrations unnecessary.
However, the court observed that permission for the demonstration was sought well before the interim government assumed power. The court also found the state’s reasons for denying permission to be untenable.
As a result, the court was inclined to grant the petition and issued the necessary orders.
