The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Court orders notices to State, Centre, poll panel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Court orders notices to State, Centre, poll panel

Special Correspondent

Petition against election-time advertisements in forests

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has permitted an advocate to implead the general secretaries of the AIADMK and DMK as respondents to his public interest litigation petition against election-time advertisements in forests, hills and rocks in the State.

Hearing on April 5

The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice Prabha Sridevan, ordered notices to the State and Central Governments, and the Election Commission of India, and granted leave for advocate G. Rajendran, managing trustee of In Defence of Environment and Animals (IDEA), "to add the general secretaries of AIADMK and the DMK as respondents." It then posted the matter to April 5 for further hearing.

In his petition, Mr. Rajendran said advertisements, election graffiti and religious slogans had been painted on mountains, rocks and other natural structures in various parts of the State.

As trustees of these public properties, the State and Central Governments and their authorities were duty-bound to remove these encroachments and restore them to their original status, he said.

Mr. Rajendran further said the Election Commission should immediately disqualify the candidates who did not remove the advertisements put up by them and direct the person concerned to reimburse the cost of restoration.

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