Date:13/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/13/stories/2008111355380800.htm

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Karunanidhi says court order not violated

J. Venkatesan

Counsel produces documents to show Rs. 4.83 crore was collected on bandh day

New Delhi: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi asserted in the Supreme Court on Wednesday that he had not violated the court order banning the bandh in the State on October 1, 2007 on the Sethusamudram issue and that he had ordered its implementation.

Senior counsel T.R. Andhyarujina, appearing for the Chief Minister stated this before a Bench of Justice B.N. Agrawal and Justice G.S. Singhvi hearing a contempt petition filed by the AIADMK alleging that the order dated September 30, 2007 had been violated.

Arguments concluded in respect of the contemnors Mr. Karunanidhi and four others. Regarding Union Minister T.R. Baalu, the Bench posted the matter for further hearing on December 10, asking the petitioner to file an additional affidavit.

Counsel said that immediately on coming to know of the Supreme Court order, the Chief Minister announced that the Democratic Progressive Alliance was withdrawing the resolution on cessation of work and instead decided to hold a day-long fast the next day to draw attention to the importance of the Sethusamudram project.

He said “We [government] have been very anxious to implement the order after some strong observations you [court] had made.

Counsel reading out the affidavit filed by the Chief Minister said, “I made it clear at that time that the fast was not against the Supreme Court order and the fast undertaken by political parties should not in any way affect the general public or hinder their routine life.” It accused the AIADMK, the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu, of filing the petition to malign the Chief Minister and the government with false and exaggerated statements to make out a case of contempt of this court.

He said the whole thing was politically motivated to get publicity and maximum political mileage.

Essential services not affected

Essential services such as electricity, water supply, milk and hospitals were not affected in any way and asserted that the order was not violated. There was no evidence to suggest that the Chief Minister had instigated others to go ahead with the bandh.

Senior counsel Ashok Desai, appearing for former Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy and former Director-General of Police Rajendran said the government received the court order at 10.30 p.m. on September 30, 2007 and instructions were issued over phone to District Collectors regarding the measures to be taken for the maintenance of law and order and public tranquillity and sustaining normalcy.

As far as the then DGP was concerned, counsel said that in view of the various steps taken, barring certain stray instances, no major act of violence or incident detrimental to law and order had been reported and the routine life of people passed off without any disturbance.

Senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Transport Minister K.N. Nehru and former Transport Secretary Debendranath Sarangi, asserted that there was no bandh and near normal transport services were operated on October 1, 2007.

Counsel produced documents to show that Rs. 4.83 crore was collected on that day from transport services and this would show that every effort was made to operate the buses. The services were gradually increased during the course of the day, he said and added that nothing was done to circumvent or violate the court order.

When AIADMK counsel Guru Krishnakumar intervened, Justice Singhvi asked him, “When political trade unions ask the workers not to come for work, what can the Transport Secretary or the Minister do.”