Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court took on file a writ plea challenging the refusal of permission for the Bajrang Dal Shourya Yatra, scheduled for December 25. The judge was dealing with a writ petition filed by Palle Prabhu Kumar Goud. The petitioner alleged that the rejection of permission by the Sangareddy superintendent of police was arbitrary and unconstitutional.
It was the petitioner’s case that the Bajrang Dal planned the yatra well in advance and secured prior permission from the authorities. The petitioner pointed out that no other religious processions were scheduled for the day. Despite this, the respondents raised objections, citing the yatra’s proximity to a church hosting a Christmas event attended by the Chief Minister.
The petitioner argued that rescheduling the rally was not feasible due to the confirmed participation of the Bajrang Dal president, who was travelling from Delhi and had other engagements the following day. He contended that the yatra would not interfere with the Christmas celebrations, as both could coexist peacefully in a secular nation.
The petitioner expressed willingness to modify the yatra’s route to address any concerns. The judge then remarked that secularism intended all persons to celebrate their festivals irrespective of their religion and allowed the petitioner to proceed with the yatra, subject to alteration of the route. The judge accordingly directed the petitioner to alter the yatra’s route and venue to avoid any disturbance near the church.
