The Gujarat HC issued notice to the State Government on Wednesday while reacting on a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). According to the AAP’s petition Surat police was not granting permission to the party to hold a rally of AAP supremo Kejriwal in the diamond city Surat. AAP had applied for permission to organise the rally of Delhi CM at Varachha area of Surat on October 16, 2016. Party sources in Gujarat informed that with a view to get adequate time to prepare for Kejariwal’s rally, AAP had applied for police permission on August 19.
“Despite repeated reminders we haven’t yet received confirmation,” he lamented.
The High Court issued notices to the additional secretary (Home), Gujarat; Surat police commissioner and the district collector and adjourned the hearing to September 27. “A party delegation even met Governor O P Kohli on September 6 and requested him to intervene, but nothing has happened so far,” Naik said.
The petition claimed that Surat police had allowed rallies by BJP chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani and senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela recently. “What could possibly be objection with Kejriwal holding a rallyIJ” Naik said.
Earlier in July, AAP was forced to curtail Kejriwal’s two-day maiden visit to Gujarat by half. Kejriwal, who was to visit the state on July 9 & 10, was forced to cancel his Surat programme, with AAP claiming that the then Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel’s office had pressurized the venue owners to cancel their booking. He was to meet businessmen from Surat but instead, Kejriwal visited Somanth temple
on July 9.
Kejriwal also visited the state again in July second half, when he visited Mota Samadhiyala in Gir-Somnath district and Rajkot to meet family and victims of public flogging of dalit youths at Una.