‘No rising sun symbol should be displayed while distributing relief’

No bar on displaying Chief Minister’s portrait, says HC

The Madras High Court on Monday ordered that the ruling DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol should not be displayed in any of the ration shops where the State government is distributing first tranche of ₹2,000 of the COVID-19 relief of ₹4,000 to rice ration card holders.

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy wrote, “There has always to be a distinction drawn between the government of the day and the political personnel who may form such government. At the time of relief or largesse being distributed by or on behalf of the government, it is the government and only the government that ought to be projected and not the political party which forms the government.” The observations were made while disposing of a public interest litigation petition filed by AIADMK member M. Devaraj of Chennai. He produced photographs of the portraits of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol having been displayed in some ration shops where the government cash relief was distributed.

After hearing his counsel V. Lakshmi Narayanan, the first Division Bench wrote, “While there may be little room to object to the portrait of the Chief Minister being displayed, since the Chief Minister heads the elected government, the symbol of the ruling party should not be used at any of the distribution centres.”

The judges also took note of the submissions of Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram that already 90% of the distribution was complete, and ordered that those responsible for the distribution must refrain from giving any political colour to the entire event.

“More importantly, Covid protocol has to be maintained at all times, including the distancing norm. In all the photographs that have been relied upon by the petitioner, it is evident that there is crowding and people falling over each other to be in the photo-frame, so to say. This must be avoided at all cost, particularly since the State is facing the worst case scenario in the second surge and there is no knowing when the pandemic would subside,” the judges concluded.

Source: Read Full Article