Chennai: The Madras High Court has accused Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of attempting to convert the Chartered Court into a political platform by filing a petition with contradictory statements.
The matter pertains to a petition filed by the DMK’s Legal Wing Secretary by R. Girirajan, who sought direction to stop the police from preventing or interfering with the visit of DMK working president and State Opposition leader M.K. Stalin to inspect de-silting activities of various water bodies in Tamil Nadu.
Dismissing the petition, Justice, M.S. Ramesh pointed out that Stalin intended to undertake an inspection of desilting of Kacharayan Lake on July 27, 2017 and he was stopped at Kaniyur toll plaza, which lies within the Coimbatore District jurisdictional limit.
According to the petitioner, the police informed them that the detention was made since the Stalin intended to participate in the ‘Human Chain Protest’ against Neet, which was in contravention of the order of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Salem dated July 26, 2017 rejecting their request for permission to participate in the Human Chain Protest.
The petitioner said the police misused the prohibitory order to prevent M.K. Stalin and other local party office bearers from visiting Kacharayan lake, which falls within the Edappadi Constituency of the Chief Minister.
Rajarathinam, Public Prosecutor, said shortly after detention, M.K. Stalin and other local party office bearers were released and hence the prayer sought for has become infructuous. Girirajan replied that the police were consistently refusing permission for peaceful protests and demonstrations and were detaining demonstrators who wished to indulge only in peaceful participation.
An interim stay was granted on July 26, 2017 for the purpose of monitoring the issue to avoid any further violation.
Subsequently, he filed another writ petition wherein he sought for a direction forbearing the police from preventing or interfering in the visit of M.K. Stalin to inspect the desilting activities of various water bodies in Tamil Nadu.
The judge said, “In view of the fact that the statement has come from the leader of the opposition party of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the same cannot be ignored.
“It is in this background that this court, with discontention, is constrained to observe that the petitioner has attempted to convert the High Court into a political platform by filing the present petition with contradictory averments”.
Dismissing the petition, he said, “In view of the fact that M.K. Stalin and the other party office bearers having been released from the temporary detention, the prayer sought for in the present petition needs no further orders”.
