Govt justifies Delhi Police rejecting permission to Anna

New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) Indian Government Monday
justified Delhi Police rejecting permission for social
activist Anna Hazare's planned fast here from Tuesday, saying
a major gathering cannot be allowed in present day
circumstances if it is "uncontrolled."
The Government also said Hazare and his supporters have
the right to protest but the law of the land is equal for all
and everything has to be within the rule of law.
"Everything has to be within the rule of law. You can't
allow a major gathering in today's circumstances if it is
uncontrolled," said Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who
was also part of the Lokpal bill's(anti-corruption ombudsman)
joint drafting committee.
"If they want to agitate and protest that's part of
their right. But it is the government's and the concerned
department's responsibility to ensure safety and proper
regulation of traffic and of people," he added.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said,
"I do not want to say any harsh thing against anybody. The law
of the land is equal for all. Be it Congress, any other
political party or any citizen, we all have to take the
permission of the law and order machinery to carry out any
protest or march."
Echoing Soni's sentiments, Khurshid said, "Even when we,
the ruling party, wants permission to hold a rally,
restrictions are imposed on us and we accept those."
Soni said, "If anybody tries to violate it (law)
knowingly" the law and order machinery will have to act.
Replying to questions on Anna team's contention that its
right to protest cannot be taken away, Soni said everybody has
got a right to protest but permission has to be sought keeping
in mind law and order and other factors.
Soni dismissed allegation of civil rights activist
Arvind Kejriwal that the police set the conditions on them at
the behest of politicians saying any person making such
allegation is "deliberately trying to mislead."
She said if anybody wanted to end corruption, some
mechanism will have to be built and wondered "why there is
this panic and desperation. Why can't we wait when we are
going to take such a historic measure (bringing Lokpal)."

Union Home Secretary R K Singh held a meeting with Delhi
Police Commissioner B K Gupta and other senior officials at
the Police Headquarters here to take stock of the measures
taken by the force to tackle any untoward situation.
Amid ther war of words, a Union Home Ministry official
said the Centre will not interfere in the decision of Delhi
Police, noting the force has taken the stand on its own and it
was fully capable of dealing with any situation.
"The Home Ministry will not interfere in the decision
of Delhi Police. We have nothing to do with it,” the official
said.
The official said the Delhi Police took the decision to
deny permission to Team Anna to stage the protest since they
refused to comply with its set conditions which are applicable
to any group which wanted to stage any protest in the national
capital.
The Centre also thinks that Delhi Police are capable of
dealing with any situation arising out of Hazare’s
announcement that he would go ahead with the protest despite
the refusal of the permission.
"If they (Team Anna) decide to go ahead with their
programme defying the order, law will take its own course,”
the official said.