Purola mahapanchayat: Uttarakhand HC asks state government to maintain law and order

Jun 16, 2023

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 16 : The Uttarakhand High Court asked the state government to maintain law and order in the state and to ensure that there is no damage to the property of people. This order came amid talks of a mahapanchayat in the state's Purola district.
The High Court issued a notice to the government and ordered it to file its reply within three weeks. It also added in its order that organisations need to seek permission from the state government to hold dharnas, demonstrations, rallies and meetings.
The court in its order on Thursday also asked the concerned parties to refrain from TV debates and venting their views on social media about this issue. The court said that this has been done to ensure that the situation remains peaceful.
The bench headed by the Chief Justice asked the Uttarkashi District Magistrate to take strict action against any law and order problem in Purola.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said that no one will be allowed to take the law into their hands in connection to the Purola incident.
Dhami said, "No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands." The Uttarkashi district administration on Wednesday refused permission for a Mahapanchayat proposed to be held on June 15 in Uttarakhand's Purola town, which has been witnessing communal tensions over an alleged attempt to abduct a minor girl last month.
The Chief Minister said, "We have appealed to all the people to maintain peace." He said that if anyone tries to vitiate the atmosphere, the law will take its course. "In the incidents that have happened so far, the administration has acted properly. If someone is guilty then the law will work against him. No one should take the law into their hands," he added.