The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday disposed of a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the State to prohibit the conduct of guru puja events in Ramanathapuram district and other sensitive areas of Tamil Nadu in order to maintain public order and communal harmony.
A Division Bench of Justices Anita Sumanth and C. Kumarappan took note of the submission made by the authorities that adequate measures were being taken for the smooth conduct of the guru puja events.
The court was hearing the petition filed by G. Sathya Priya of Tirumangalam. The petitioner said there were widespread incidents of communal tension, caste based clashes, damage to property, disruption of normal life in Ramanathapuram district, its neighbouring areas and across Tamil Nadu.
Several reports in the past have shown that the law and order machinery has been severely strained during these occasions. The Freedom of Speech and Assembly under Article 19 (1) of the Constitution is not absolute and reasonable restrictions under Article 19 (2) permit the State to curtail such activities in the interest of public order and morality, the petitioner said.
Despite preventive measures, the police had not been able to effectively control the situation, the petitioner said and sought a direction to the State to prohibit the conduct of guru puja events, take effective preventive measures under relevant provisions of law to ensure peace and tranquillity.
Published – September 09, 2025 10:26 pm IST
