April 14, 2015
India: DK holds thali-removal festival ahead of HC order bringing back ban
POLICE BAN QUASHED
DK holds thali-removal festival ahead of HC order bringing back ban
A Division Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday granted an interim stay on a single judge's order, which quashed the police ban of a thali removal and beef-eating festival by Dravidar Kazhagam.
However, anticipating legal intervention after information about several groups approaching a Division Bench of the High Court to stay the thali removal event, the Dravidar Kazhagam advanced the event by three hours against the scheduled time of 10 am.
Twenty one couples participated in the programme with the women discarding their thalis and pledging to lead a life promoting gender equality. Later, when the police communicated the stay order issued by the division bench, DK functionaries asked their party men to disperse peacefully.
A special sitting by a division bench comprising Justices Satish K. Agnihotri and M. Venugopal at the former's residence on Greenways Road quashed the order passed by Justice D. Hariparanthaman on Monday night.
Justice Hariparanthaman had quashed the police ban and direct them to provide adequate protection to the event to be held on Tuesday morning at Periyar Thidal and further directed Dravidar Kazhagam to conduct the programme peacefully.
The government opposed the event apprehending law and order disturbance.
(Additional inputs by Sruthisagar Yamunan)
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/hc-orders-interim-stay-on-dk-thali-removal-festival/article7101133.ece?homepage=true