CAA protests: Madras HC keeps in abeyance order to police to act against protesters

The same bench on Friday ruled that the interim order be kept in abeyance after submissions by senior lawyers raised questions on Gopinath’s credentials.

A day after it directed Tirupur police to ensure that no more agitations in support of or against CAA are allowed without police permission, the Madras High Court on Friday decided to keep the order in abeyance till March 11.

A division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy had passed Thursday’s order on a petition filed by K Gopinath, a lawyer and president of a Hindu outfit.

The same bench on Friday ruled that the interim order be kept in abeyance after submissions by senior lawyers raised questions on Gopinath’s credentials. They also argued that Thursday’s interim order should not have been issued without without hearing arguments of the peaceful anti-CAA protesters.

In his petition, Gopinath had sought a direction from the court to police to prevent demonstrations in Tirupur or elsewhere to “promote peace and harmony within the religions in national interest”. Issuing the interim order on Thursday, the court said, “There is a subtle difference between the right to protest and upsetting the public road causing hindrance to the scores of people. Nobody has the right to indulge in such agitations in a place choose by them.”

Keeping the order in abeyance on Friday, the court said they are considering opinions from senior counsels and for the fact that, “unfortunately”, the antecedents of the writ petitioner have not been brought to the notice of the court.

The court, however, added that nothing prevents police from proceeding in accordance with law.