Supreme Court relents, allows photos of CMs and ministers in govt advertisements

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the publication of photographs of chief ministers, state ministers as well as Union Cabinet ministers in government advertisements to promote achievements or programmes. It also allowed use of governors’ photographs.

Earlier, on May 13 last year, the court had held that only the photographs of the President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India could be published in government advertisements, and not those of Union ministers, chief ministers and other state ministers.

A review of this order had been sought by the Centre as well as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka and Assam.

It was argued that if the publication of the photograph of the PM was allowed, there was no reason why photos of other Union ministers and state chief ministers should not be allowed. It was argued that displaying only the PM’s photos in advertisements could lead to the development of a personality cult, which was not good for democracy.

A two-member bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Pinaki Chandra Ghose has now modified the court’s 2015 order.

Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Pinaki Chandra Ghose said in their order on Friday: “The exception carved out in the judgment dated May 13, 2015 permitting the publication of the photographs of the President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice, subject to the said authorities themselves deciding the question, is now extended to governors and chief ministers of states."

The bench said, “In lieu of the photograph of the Prime Minister, the photograph of the departmental (Cabinet) minister/minister in charge of the concerned ministry may be published, if so desired.

In the states, similarly, the photograph of the departmental (Cabinet) minister/ minister in charge in lieu of the photograph of the chief minister may be published, if so desired.”