Supreme Court blasts TN government on bandh

BY OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

2 October, 2007

Taking a strict stance, the Supreme Court has warned the DMK-led government of Tamil Nadu that if it did not comply with its order on the bandh, the court would not hesitate to direct the Centre to impose President’s rule in the state.

“If there is no compliance with our order, it is complete breakdown of Constitutional machinery. We will then have to direct the Central Government to impose President’s rule,” a bench headed by acting Chief Justice B N Aggarwal and Justice P Sathasivam said on October 1, 2007.

The Supreme Court said that since the state government has been stopped from imposing the bandh, it is encouraging trade unions to do it.

The bandh has been called to gather support for the stalled Sethusamudram shipping canal project.

Led by DMK chief and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and other leaders of the Democratic Progressive Alliance, the strike was slated to go on till 6 p.m. on October 1, 2007.

The bench’s remarks came when the counsel appearing for the AIADMK, led by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, mentioned that the Supreme Court’s order of September 30, 2007, was not being complied with by the Tamil Nadu government and that state-run buses were not plying in Tamil Nadu on October 1, 2007.

In an extraordinary sitting on September 30, 2007, a Supreme Court bench had stayed the bandh called by the ruling DMK front and asked the government to stop it.

The bench further observed on October 1, 2007, “Is this a government? Is this the Tamil Nadu government? Is this the DMK government, a strong ally of the UPA government? If this is the attitude of the DMK government, the UPA government should not feel shy of dismissing it and imposing President’s rule.”

The bench also said that, if the Tamil Nadu government would not comply with its order, it would not hesitate to summon the Chief Secretary of the state.

It told the AIADMK counsel that he can file a contempt petition when the court was apprised of the situation prevailing in the state.

The DMK counsel told the court that only party leaders are sitting on fast and only some unions are involved in such activities. The UPA government, he added, should not shy away from imposing President’s Rule in Tamil Nadu.

The court has allowed the AIADMK to file a contempt petition against the DMK government.

Normal life in Chennai came to a virtual standstill with almost all public transport off the roads. Thousands of commuters waited in long queues at bus stands.