Chennai: Observing that it cannot interfere in policy matters of government, the Madras high court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation, which sought to restrain the Election Commission of India from accepting the candidature for the RK Nagar by-poll of AIADMK's TTV Dhinakaran, who was fined Rs 28 crore in a Fera violation case.
Pointing out that the judiciary should show self restraint from barging into the domain of the law makers, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice RMT Teeka Raman, while disposing of the PIL filed by P.A. Joseph of Arumbakkam directed the petitioner to approach the law makers for any relief.
The petitioner, in his PIL, had said Parliament has no power to restrict the disqualification only to criminal conviction and cannot defer disqualification of a person found guilty of the charge of contravention of provisions of Fera.
Senior counsel K.M.Vijayan, appearing for the petitioner submitted that the main aim of the PIL was to prevent criminalisation of electoral politics. The court has authority to exercise such power. The RPA was an ever evolving law and needs interference by the court now, he added.
