The Supreme Court clarified that the dominant concentration of a religious community in a particular area cannot be a valid reason for police or state authorities to deny permission to another religious community to hold events or prayer meetings there. The bench, led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, made this observation while hearing a petition challenging the Tamil Nadu Police’s order prohibiting the ‘sangalpa yagam’ event in Dindigul district.
The police order had cited the area’s predominantly Christian population and the potential for cultural sensitivities or legal complications. The court emphasized that such considerations should not be a basis for rejecting permission.