The City Police Commissioner has been directed by the Madras High Court to accord sanction to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to hold a demonstration in front of the Memorial Hall on any future date to protest against the suspension of IAS officer C Umashankar.

Justice V Dhanapalan said, “The Constitution specifically mandates that no authority can prohibit a democratic activity unless it is prohibited under Article 19(2) of the Constitution...,’’. The judge was allowing a writ petition from C Sakthivel, North Chennai district secretary of the BSP, challenging an order dated July 28 this year of the Commissioner of Police refusing permission to hold the demo on July 30 last.

The judge said, ‘’the authorities had no right to deny or deprive any democratic process as the constitution clearly stated that no such democratic activity could be prevented.

The demonstration was not against any particular administrative function but against the action of the government in the present case. The can give permission and in case if anything illegal had happens then they can take action the judge said.