Delhi HC permits national seminar on understanding fascism in India after it was denied permission by Delhi police

The court told the parties to cooperate with each other to ensure that the seminar is held in a peaceful atmosphere and no untoward incident occurs.

—–

THE Delhi High Court on Friday gave a go-ahead to a national seminar on the theme "Understanding Fascism In Present Indian Context" to be held at the Harikishan Singh Surjit Bhavan, ITO, after the organisers challenged the refusal by the Delhi Police to permit holding the seminar.

Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, however, told the parties to cooperate with each other to ensure that the seminar is held in a peaceful atmosphere and no untoward incident occurs.

A single-judge bench of Justice Gedela was hearing a petition filed by Gade Inna Reddy and Dr. Mondru Francis Gopinath, challenging the denial of permission by Delhi police to hold the seminar.

The Delhi police justified the denial of permission, stating that the information provided in the petition before the high court was not available earlier, and therefore the direction of refusal from holding the seminar had been passed by the police on the basis of the information that was then available to it.

Keeping the apprehensions of the Delhi police in consideration regarding some untoward incident, Justice Gedela directed as follows:

• "Petitioners shall compile a list of invitees to the two days's seminar with complete details as to their residence and their identity cards and submit the same to the [Station House Officer], I.P. Estate, by today 09:00 PM, so as to enable the SHO, I.P. Estate to place on his record the number of invitees who are participating in the two day's seminar.
• The other invitees who are still travelling and would be reaching Delhi by tomorrow, a similar list of such persons would be handed over to the [Station House Officer], I.P. Estate on or before by 12:00 noon tomorrow (February 11, 2022)
• The petitioner shall provide one contact number of the responsible person of the organization, which is conducting the seminar, so as to enable the police authorities to have one phone contact in respect of the seminar which is to take place for the next two days.
• The petitioner assures and undertakes that there shall be no cause of any untoward incident so far as the Organising Committee and participants are concerned."

The petitioners claimed that they are individuals from different folds of life trying to voice their opinions under the constitutional framework, and intended to organise a national seminar through their platform 'Bharat Bachao', exclusively for their members, which is not open to the general public.

The seminar is to be conducted on March 11 and 12 in Delhi.