HC tells parties to join case on firing

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, Aug. 7: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday sharply criticised political parties which organised the bandh which resulted in the Mudigonda police firing and asked them to implead in the case relating to the incident.

In all, seven persons had died after police opened fire at activists of Left parties who were agitating at Mudigonda village of Khammam district on July 28 as part of a State-wide bandh.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Nagarjuna Reddy admitted the writ petition on the issue filed by Telugu Desam secretary P.N.V. Prasad observing that it involved larger public interest. While admitting the writ, the judges mused whether political parties which organised the bandh could be asked to compensate the families of the firing victims under Article 19(1) (d) and Article 21 of the Constitution.

Significantly, the Telugu Desam too gave the bandh call along with the Left parties. The BJP also supported the bandh. The court directed the TD secretary to implead all those political parties which had organised the bandh in the case.

“Every party which is mandated by the people to sit in the Opposition is organising strikes and bandhs and provoking violence which at times result in the death of innocent citizens,” said the bench.

The Chief Justice also wanted to know whether a political party can exhort others to take law into their own hands and forcibly occupy government lands or adopt violent means to compel the government to allot lands. “What is the accountability of those who organise bandhs and strikes and disrupt normal life?” asked the judges.