Road Blockage by Election Campaign: Kerala HC to consider Justice Kemal Pasha 's Letter as PIL [Read Letter]

In connection with the road blockage caused by culmination of election propaganda celebration, a sitting Judge of the Kerala High Court ,Justice Kemal Pasha, has written a letter to Mr Ashok Menon, Registrar General of the Kerala High Court, requesting whether the same could be placed before the division bench to be considered as a Public Interest Litigation.

In his letter, Justice Pasha, who experienced the inconvenience due to culmination of election propaganda celebration and left stranded in the vehicular traffic, highlighted the grievance caused to the public due to road blockage which occurred due to the procession conducted by various political parties in lieu of culmination of election propaganda on 14/05/16.

Justice Pasha in his letter stated:- “ I was also a scapegoat when I was virtually stranded for more than two hours between Aluva and Ankamaly. I could learn that in the National Highway the entire traffic was blocked from Aluva to Ankamaly and also from Chalakudy to Ankamaly for about five hours. I could witness persons dancing on the road and policemen aiding them by blocking the entire road. All the travelling public including poor children were stranded on the road for more than five hours due to the said inhuman activities. The same has to be stopped.”

Seeking Judicial Intervention, Justice Pasha termed the above activities of political parties as a gross violation of fundamental right of general public guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. He further mentioned that the political parties or persons under them have no right to make use of the public road as a play ground at their whims and fancies.

He hence requested the Registrar General, Mr Ashok Menon, to place the letter before the appropriate Division Bench at the High Court to determine whether the same could be treated as a Public Interest Litigation.

The letter shall now have to be placed before the Acting Chief Justice, Mr Thottathil B Radhakrishnan, to decide the further course of action in the above matter.

Read the letter here.