Inflated Water Bill Issue: AAP Withdraws Plea For Permission To Hold Protest At Jantar Mantar

New Delhi [India]: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday withdrew its plea seeking permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital against the alleged hurdles being put in the implementation of the Delhi Jal Board's One-Time Settlement Scheme for water bill arrears.

The petition was withdrawn after the Delhi High Court declined an immediate intervention into the matter.

Justice Subramonium Prasad initially asked the counsel for Delhi police to take instructions and was listing the matter for Monday.

The counsel appearing for AAP urged the court to ask the respondent's counsel to take instructions within an hour today.
The court said that there should be some fine for coming late.
Thereafter, the counsel appearing for AAP sought permission to withdraw the petition, which was accordingly granted.

The plea moved by advocate Rajat Bhardwaj alleged that the Delhi Police erroneously and arbitrarily declined the request of the petitioner to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which is in violation of the fundamental right of the petitioner.
According to the plea, AAP is exercising its fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19(1)(b) of the Indian Constitution, which forms an essential part of democracy, to perform a peaceful protest on February 25 at Jantar Mantar.

The party had requested permission by letter dated February 17 from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, wherein it submitted that the said protest will be attended by the Chief Minister of Delhi, Ministers of the Delhi Govt, and MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party with a gathering of around 800, which was erroneously and arbitrarily declined, and that the fundamental right as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of India forms an essential part of the democracy, and the same cannot be taken away summarily by a blanket and prohibitory order issued under Section 144 of the CrPC 1973.

"It is submitted that by virtue of Section 144 of the CrPC there cannot be a complete prohibition on demonstrations, etc, but after taking into consideration the request, permission can be granted by laying down proper parameters," the plea stated.