The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : DMK salvo against High Court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 05, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

DMK salvo against High Court

Special Correspondent

Row over court's comments on civic polls, probe panel on school incident

CHENNAI: The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Sunday joined issue with the Madras High Court over the latter's observations on issues such as the local bodies' poll and the constitution of an enquiry commission on the Omalur school incident.

Addressing a function in the city, the DMK Treasurer and Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy referred to the split verdict of the High Court's two-member Division Bench on the case of cancelling election to the Chennai Corporation Council. Pointing out that one judge had ordered re-poll to 99 wards, he noted that the case had since been referred to a third judge. Mr. Veerasamy also referred to the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's advice to the councillors to resign and said no one other than Mr. Karunanidhi had such courage to face the electorate. On the Court's suggestion for the appointment of an independent authority to monitor the civic elections in the city, the Minister wondered why the Chief Justice of the Court should make a suggestion to the Government, after having declared that he did not have the powers to remove an authority such as the State Election Commissioner.

Panel on Omalur incident

As for the formation of the enquiry panel into the Omalur incident, the Minister said the Chief Minister had ordered the establishment of the commission after he received representations from people following the death of a school student and damage caused to the property of the school concerned.

"The Chief Minister should exercise his authority. The High Court should give orders within the legal framework. But, if they (the Court) think that it is they who rule Tamil Nadu, it is not appropriate," Mr. Veerasamy said. Later, the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, referring to Mr. Veerasamy's speech, said for sometime everyone had been waiting to see who would bell the cat. "Today, [Mr] Veerasamy has done it. I hope that his ringing of the bell will bring about straightforwardness and integrity in the State." He said the critics of his Government should take into account the fact that the Central Government had been supporting a regime in the State which was duly elected for five times and Tamils all over the world were solidly behind such a regime.

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