A view of the Andhra Pradesh High Court building. file | Photo credit: The Hindu
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 12 quashed GO 1 issued by the state government. The High Court felt that GO 1 was violative of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
GO 1 was issued by the government on January 2 in the wake of two stampedes at rallies organized by the opposition TDP in Kandukur and Nellore. GO released With a view to “regulating rallies and meetings on public roads and highways”.
After this, State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) K.K. Ramakrishna Jio One challenged in the High Court, Similarly, TDP Politburo member Kollu Ravindra, AP Congress Committee President Gidugu Rudra Raju, former minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana and others also filed petitions challenging the GO1.
During the previous hearing, the government had argued that the GO does not prohibit or prohibit any public gathering and only regulates such meetings by making prior permission mandatory in view of recent stampede incidents. The High Court, however, observed that the mandate prima facie violates section 30 Directing the state government to file a counter affidavit by January 20, it stayed its operation till January 23.
While the vacation bench stayed this mandate, the Chief Justice’s bench lifted the stay, saying that the vacation bench of the High Court had crossed its limits, and the vacation judge acted as the de facto Chief Justice. .
Meanwhile, challenging the interim stay on GO1 by the State High Court, Government filed special leave petition In Supreme Court. In its Special Leave Petition (SLP), the state government argued that a government order was issued recently to prevent stampede incidents and requested the apex court to vacate the stay granted by the High Court .
A division bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud allowed the plea and posted the matter for further hearing on April 24. After hearing the matter, the Supreme Court directed the Andhra Pradesh High Court to settle the matter at the earliest.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday quashed GO 1.
Sri Ramakrishna and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Somu Veeraraju and general secretary S. Vishnuvardhan Reddy welcomed the High Court order.