The Bombay High Court strongly criticised Mumbai Police for banning a political activist from entering the city because he organised and participated in peaceful protests against the government. Setting aside the one-year ban – also known as externment order – Justice Madhav J Jamdar asked the police if it was trying to turn citizens into “slaves of the government” by slapping them with criminal cases for simply expressing dissent.
The court firmly reminded the police they are servants of the public and not of top government officials, and emphasised that the right to protest and raise slogans against political leaders is a fundamental right guaranteed to every Indian citizen.
