CHENNAI: The city will not see rationalists and atheists walking on burning coal or piercing sharp pins through cheek and tongue on Sunday after all. The Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK), which had sought police permission for a rally and other superstition-busting programmes, will now hold only a procession at Egmore.

The rally portion of the schedule too survived only after the DVK took the matter to the Madras high court, opposing denial of police permission for the programme.

On August 14, P John, district president of DVK, sought police’s permission to take out a rally in Mylapore and stage programmes to bust blind beliefs. On August 23, the commissioner of police issued a show-cause notice seeking explanation. Dissatisfied with the explanation offered, he rejected their application.

The DVK then moved the high court seeking its intervention. Justice K K Sasidharan, before whom the matter came up for hearing on Friday, adjourned it to next week without passing any orders. On Saturday, the DVK’s appeal was taken up for hearing by a specially constituted bench of Justice V Dhanapalan and Justice M Duraiswamy.

Their counsel N G R Prasad said the programme was against blind belief and not against any religious belief. Rejecting the police stance that the proposed rally route was narrow, he said till 2011 the organisation was permitted to use the same route. It cannot have become very narrow all of a sudden, he said.

Advocate general of Tamil Nadu A L Somayaji, however, said the only procession route being permitted in the city now was between Rajarathinam stadium and Langs Garden junction in Egmore. Due to Metro Rail works and other development activities, rallies cannot be permitted anywhere else, he said.

Questioning the very maintainability of the appeal, when the single judge had not passed any orders but had only adjourned the matter, Somayaji also said the police apprehended that the rally might disturb traffic as well as public order.

At the end of the hearing at Justice Dhanapalan’s residence, the bench granted conditional permission for a procession at Egmore on Sunday. “The DVK shall conduct the procession without affecting the law and order and causing any kind of disturbance to public. It shall start from Rajarathinam stadium in Egmore and go up to Langs Garden junction between 4pm to 5.30pm on September 1,” the bench said.

It also said the participants should not shout any slogans affecting any religious sentiments of people. The undertaking given by them to the court that they would maintain peace and tranquillity should be adhered to, the judge said. If there is any violation of the undertaking it is open to police to take action against the violators as per law, they added.

The Bench ordered that peace and tranquility must be maintained. If there is any violation of the undertaking it is open to police to take action against the violators as per law

The Bench ordered that peace and tranquility must be maintained. If there is any violation of the undertaking it is open to police to take action against the violators as per law

The DVK shall conduct the procession without affecting the law and order and causing any kind of disturbance to public.

