ORDER

Dt:12.05.2023 This Court has heard Sri Raju Ramachandran, Learned senior counsel, Sri Siddharth Luthra, Learned Senior Counsel, Sri T. Sreedhar, Learned Senior Counsel, Sri Ravi Shankar Jandhyala, Learned Senior Counsel and Sri Javvaji Sarath Chandra, learned counsel in this batch of matters. This Court has heard the learned Advocate General for the respondents.

2) The challenge in all these matters is to G.O.Rt.No.1, Home (Legal.II) Department, dated 02.01.2023, by which the Government of Andhra Pradesh sought to regulate public meetings / assembly on roads, road sides and margins. Directions were issued under the Police Act, 1961 in this G.O.

All the writ petitioners have challenged the said G.O.

3) Sri Raju Ramachandran, learned senior counsel, took the lead in arguing the matters. He made his submissions in W.P.(PIL) No.5 of 2023. According to him Right to Free Speech is a Fundamental Right, which cannot be totally curtailed and can only be subject to reasonable restrictions as per the provisions contained in Article 19 of the Constitution of India. Learned senior counsel submits that the effect of this G.O. is to virtually ban the public meetings on roads, road margins etc.