Madurai: A local body on Monday moved the Madras High Court for a ban on all processions, including those by political parties, to pay homage to late leaders on their memorial days on the ground that such events led to violence and loss of lives.
When the PIL filed by local outfit Social Justice Forum came up for hearing, Justices Jayachandran and Venugopal posted it to September 12.
Petitioner A Irulandi, Secretary of the forum, sought a direction to ban processions by private individuals, NGOs and political parties.
He submitted that people in southern districts, including Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli, tended to identify the freedom fighters with their community.
Only those belonging to the community of the leader participated in such memorial events.
Though it was done due to enthusiasm, it created enmity or hatred in other sections of the people.
Listing out various incidents during such memorial days when several people were killed, he said in order to put an end to hooliganism and vandalism, the forum passed a resolution seeking to ban the memorial day celebrations by organisations other than the government but no action was taken.
PTI
