Title - Why not prohibit protests near government hospital, Central railway station, asks high court

CHENNAI: The Madras high court has asked the Chennai police commissioner to consider prohibiting demonstrations and road blockades at the Memorial Hall, opposite the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital and near the Chennai Central railway station, within six weeks.A vacation bench comprising Justice K K Sasidharan and Justice N Kirubakaran gave the interim direction when a public interest petition filed by advocate K Ashok Chakkaravarthy came up for hearing on Thursday.The PIL, pointing out that the Memorial Hall junction had important facilities like the Central railway station and the government general hospital, said more than 1.25 lakh people visited these places daily. Demonstrations at the junction impeded the movement of ambulance, patients and passengers.Faulting the city police for permitting political parties and other organizations to hold demonstrations at the place, the PIL said such avoidable events led to traffic pile-ups further choking the already busy Poonamallee High Road. While any delay in ambulance service would prove fatal to patients, many a time passengers miss their trains owing to traffic snarls, it said.Chakkaravarthy said he had sent a representation to the police commissioner detailing the hardships faced by passengers, patients and road-users, but there was no response. He wanted the court to direct police not to grant permission for any agitation, rally, dharna or protest meeting within a 100-metre radius of the government hospital.

The court has now asked the city police to consider the petitioner's representation dated October 19 and pass appropriate orders within six weeks.