Implement court order to display leaders' portraits, says HC

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Friday directed the state government to produce sufficient materials to effect implementation of its order to display portraits of Kamaraj, C Rajagopalachari, Thanthai Periyar, B R Ambedkar and U Muthuramalinga Thevar in the government offices.
In a contempt petition filed by B Stalin, an advocate, against the chief secretary, it was stated that the bench had in February directed the latter chief secretary to consider a representation made by him to display portraits of the said leaders and pass appropriate orders within four months.Since there was no action on this, the petitioner filed the contempt petition against the chief secretary for not implementing the order of the court.
When the matter came up for hearing before the bench comprising Justice K N Basha and Justice M Venugopal, the petitioner's counsel submitted that even after the court's direction, the government has not implemented its order so far. The government advocate on Friday could merely produce on Friday merely a circular dated September 22, 2011 rather than making submission or filing affidavit to effect the GO in this regard.
Taking serious view of this matter, the court directed the state government to produce sufficient materials or file an affidavit to effect the implementation of the order. In the earlier petition, the petitioner had said as per a GO, portraits of the incumbent President, Prime Minister, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Saint Thiruvalluvar, C N Annadurai, K Kamaraj, C. Rajagopalachari, E V Ramasamy, B R Ambedkar and U Muthuramalinga Thevar should be displayed in all the government offices.
However, the petitioner had pointed out that due to strange and unknown reasons the portraits of K Kamaraj, C Rajagopalachari, E V Ramasamy, B.R. Ambedkar and U. Muthuramalinga Thevar are being totally ignored or not displayed in the government offices.