The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Katju's call to politicians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Katju's call to politicians

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB. 23. Politicians can find a place in the people's hearts only by doing good deeds and not by erecting arches and statues, the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice Markandey Katju, said today.

During arguments on a writ appeal pertaining to the construction of an arch across a district road at Perambalur, to commemorate the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's 57th birthday, Mr. Justice Katju said that politicians should avoid unnecessary expenditure and should use public money for better purposes. "You must realise that in a democracy the people are supreme, not Ministers. You must not waste public money."

To this, the Additional Advocate-General, A.L. Somayaji, and N. Jothi, advocate, said the arch was not to be constructed with public money. However, T.R. Rajagopalan, senior counsel for petitioner, asked how a public authority could grant permission to a private party to build a concrete structure on a public property.

Mr. Justice Katju then posted the matter to March 1 for further hearing, but not before disclosing that he had instructed the Inspector-General of Police (Southern Zone) that he did not require police personnel standing at every 20 feet and saluting him during his recent visit to the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.

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