Ahead of Eid And Parshuram Jayanti, PIL Before Gujarat High Court Seeks Strict Security Arrangements During Religious Processions

Ahead of the upcoming festivals of Eid and Parshuram Jayanti on April 22, a public interest litigation has been filed in the Gujarat High Court seeking strict security arrangements during religious processions to prevent any incident of violence in the State.

The PIL has been moved by Azajkhan Hamidkhan Pathan, a 36-year-old social worker, alleging inaction on the part of the Gujrat Government as well as the Gujarat Police in not providing appropriate security at the time of any public rally and religious procession during festivals.

The matter has been listed for hearing on April 17.

The plea submits that the social fabric of the country is under “threat of rupture” because of increasing incidents of mob violence and “recurring patterns of frenzied mobs” instigated by “intolerance, misinformation by circulation of fake news and hate speeches delivered by vested interested groups.”

“There has been litany of spiralling mob violence and because of lack of proper security arrangement and necessary intelligence report which leads to this incidents go unrecorded and the hate element behind them goes unaddressed,” the plea states.

The petition also seeks to quash the alleged inaction of the Gujarat Government and the Director General of Gujarat Police in not carrying out videography of public event and religious processions during festivals.

The plea further states that in 2021 and 2022, there have been various incidents of communal violence at different places in the State State and that the authorities have failed to prevent the same due to “lack of information or input from their sources.”

 Case Title: Azajkhan Hamidkhan Pathan v. The State of Gujarat & Anr.