HC notice to aviation ministry over Shah's Goa airport meet

Social activist Aires Rodrigues had on July 7 filed a petition before the Bombay High Court here against the meeting in Dabolim on July 1.

In response to the petition, a division bench of Justices F M Reis and Nutan Sardessai issued notices, returnable in three weeks, to the secretary of civil aviation ministry, the Goa chief secretary, the state director general of police, the airport director and the deputy commandant of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The petitioner submitted that the public meeting addressed by Shah was illegal.

"The petitioner seeks to ensure that there is no legal infringement and/or abdication of duty within the legal framework by which a government and/or authorities are permitted to allow high handed violation of law," Rodrigues submitted in his petition.

On July 1, Shah, who was on a two-day visit to Goa, allegedly held a meeting at the airport complex in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Union minister Shripad Naik.

Rodrigues had then filed a complaint with the civil aviation ministry, Goa chief secretary and the state police chief, terming the meeting as illegal.

The Congress too had demanded that a case of trespass be registered in this connection.

The BJP had initially said the party received the necessary permission for the meeting, which took place "not inside the facility as claimed" by others. However, it later said the crowd, which greeted Shah at the airport, had gathered there spontaneously and that it was "not a planned meeting".