The Delhi High Court on Friday gave a green signal to the national integration yatras of the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani and Rajnath Singh.
A division bench headed by Justice M K Sharma said the court could not curtail the fundamental rights of the leaders on the ground that the yatras might create law and order problem and communal tension. It was the state's responsibility to maintain law and order and state governments should make arrangements for smooth movement of the yatras, it added.
The government counsel Kailash Gambhir said the court should not interfere in political rallies and yatras, and that the High Court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the petitions as the two yatras were starting from outside Delhi.
The court pulled up the petitioners for filing frivolous pleas and forced them to withdraw. "Either you withdraw the petitions or we would impose heavy cost,"' the judges told their counsel N K Jha. The petition, filed by the Indian National Sikh Youth Forum, had said the yatras might lead to communal tension.
Meanwhile, the Centre is making all efforts to ensure safety of the two leaders from April 6 in the wake of intelligence reports that terrorist organisations might cause them harm.
"There is definite information that international terrorists and anti-social elements can cause harm to them. All efforts will be made to ensure the security of the yatras," Home Secretary V K Duggal told reporters in New Delhi.
"The governments of all the states, through which the yatras will pass, have been sensitised about efforts that can be made by extremists," he said, adding, "The BJP had been asked to provide detailed schedules of the yatras, expected to end on May 10."
Asked whether bullet proofing of vehicles carrying Advani and Singh would be done, Duggal said, "All steps will be taken to ensure their safety and security. Such steps (bullet proofing) can be done by the NSG in 24 hours."
"We took a fresh look today with regard to the proposed yatras," the home secretary said, referring to a meeting that was a attended by Intelligence Bureau chief E S L Narasimhan, CRPF DG J K Sinha, senior home ministry officials and chief secretaries, and DGPs of 13 naxalite-affected states.
Replying to questions, he said, "Safety and security aspects relating to the yatras were being given top priority by the Centre and its security agencies."
