Justice L Victoria Gowri upheld the right of the Teachers Federation to protest peacefully while quashing proceedings instituted against them for a statewide agitation. The court observed: “the right of the petitioners as the members of the Teachers Federation is an unrestricted right to protest peacefully

Justice L Victoria Gowri upheld the right of the Teachers Federation to protest peacefully while quashing proceedings instituted against them for a statewide agitation.

The court observed: “the right of the petitioners as the members of the Teachers Federation is an unrestricted right to protest peacefully without arms as guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of our Constitution. To be more specific Article 19(1)(b) confers right to the petitioners to assemble and protest peacefully without arms and such a right is the significant feature of a democratic country likewise ours. Constraining the space for legitimate dissent arbitrarily by suspending the petitioners and issuing them with charge memos under Rule 17(b) of Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, scuttling down the democratic value system guaranteed by our Constitution has to be undermined with iron hands. The right to protest is an inherent part of speech and inherent facet of right to live guaranteed under Article 21 of our Constitution”.