Delhi HC refuses to permit MSC to hold public meeting at Ramlila Maidan after police revokes consent

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday upheld Delhi Police’s decision to revoke initial permission granted to Mission Save Constitution (MSC) to hold a public meeting at Ramlila Maidan later this month.

Justice Subramonium Prasad refused to grant permission to petitioner, MSC, an organisation dedicated to promoting awareness of constitutional rights, which had initially received approval for the gathering, scheduled for October 29, after a series of meetings and clearances with Delhi Police officials.

However, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Central Delhi district revoked this permission citing concerns over the event's “communal” nature.

The organisation had alleged that the Delhi Police unilaterally and arbitrarily revoked their initial consent.

Last week, the police informed Justice Prasad that MSC allegedly misled authorities when seeking permission to hold the public meeting (All India Muslim Mahapanchayat).

The police had said that while the initial permission had been granted, it was subsequently revoked due to numerous complaints from local residents, who expressed concerns that the proposed event with expected attendance of around 10,000 people had communal undertones.

On Wednesday, Justice Prasad pronounced the order after having it reserved on October 25.

He emphasised the importance of the period of end of Shradh till Diwali, calling it extremely auspicious for people belonging to the Hindu community.

The court observed, on the contrary, that the posters of the organisation showed that the event can have communal and religious overtones, and that it might increase communal tension in the Old Delhi area which has already witnessed communal tensions in the past.

Justice Prasad said that while there is freedom to raise voice, the apprehension of the SHO of the concerned area cannot be washed away by constitutional courts for the possibility of communal tension.

Meanwhile, the court said that it is always open to the authorities, after the festive season is over, to consider afresh the organisation’s plea for permission to hold the event.

Justice Prasad said that the organisation’s fresh plea for permission will be considered by the authorities on its own merits, subject to the organisation providing a list of speakers and an undertaking that the meeting will not cause any communal tension.

The court has now disposed of the plea.

The organisation's objective for the event was to initiate a series of gatherings focused on strengthening various marginalised communities, beginning with minority communities and extending to groups like SC, ST, and OBC. These meetings aim to give a voice to all oppressed sections of society.

The petition sought the court's intervention to set aside the DCP's October 16 letter and to grant permission for the event on October 29.

The DCP's letter, which cancelled the previous permission, mentioned that the event's theme had been misrepresented, and social media posts indicated a communal agenda.

It raised concerns about the potential for communal tensions during the festive season and in a sensitive location like Old Delhi.

The petitioner had argued that the reasons provided for the cancellation of permission are unfounded and unreasonable.

MSC, led by advocate Mehmood Pracha as its national convenor, aims to educate the public about their constitutional rights and improve the well-being of marginalised communities by utilising constitutional and legal provisions.