The Delhi Police will impose Section 144 of Indian Penal Code from Saturday for a period of 45 days to ban holding of protests in the jurisdiction of Parliament Street police division in the city. The ban has effectively ruled out permission to social activist Anna Hazare to hold his planned indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar from
August 16.
A press communique issued by the police says that the “unrestricted holding of public meetings, processions, demonstrations etc. in the area are likely to cause obstruction to traffic, danger to human safety and disturbance of public tranquillity” and that it was “necessary” to take speedy measures in this behalf to “prevent danger to human life or safety and disturbance”.
The officials however said that some “concessions” may be made for team Anna if they restrict the gathering to 2,000 people and the proposed protest is held for one day. In a letter send to Hazare team that had sought permission for the protest, the police has asked them to clarify how many days they propose to sit on dharna and the expected number of people who will gather at the protest site. Team Anna has been told that they can continue with the proposed protest on an alternative site in the outskirts of the city suggesting Burari Grounds and Ajmal Khan park as alternative venues, government sources said.
“We have neither granted permission nor denied it as of now. We are awaiting reply from them to our letter sent ten days ago,” Rajan Bhagat, Delhi Police spokesperson, said. The order issued by the police calls for banning of holding any public meetings, carrying of fire arms, banners, placards, shouting of slogans, speech making, processions and demonstrations and it will remain effective till September 9. The offenders are punishable with imprisonment or fine or both.