The Madras High Court’s blanket ban on cut-outs and flex boards depicting living persons notwithstanding, Tiruchi city is teeming with cut-outs of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam put up for the MGR centenary celebrations on Thursday.
While the cut-outs and flex boards erected in the rest of the city are spaced out, the sides of the about one kilometre stretch from TVS Toll Gate to G. Corner, the meeting venue, are occupied by moderate to large-size banners.
A massive canopy of “pandal” supported by iron railings has been created for the meeting. The frontage is conspicuous with the presence of two large cut-outs of Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam.
Most of the flex boards carry pictures of Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam though late Chief Ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa are also prominent. The banners were put up by the Tiruchi urban and rural district units of AIADMK and its cadres. The Tiruchi city Corporation has its share of flex boards put up in a few locations in the city for the MGR centenary celebrations. However, most of the cut-outs were erected before the High Court issued order, which has apparently put the organisers of the celebrations in a quandary on whether or not to remove them.
Minister for Tourism Vellamandi N. Natarajan, Minister for Backward Classes and Minority Welfare S. Valarmathi, and Members of Parliament P. Kumar and T. Rathinavel, who visited the venue on Wednesday to fine tune the arrangements, held a lengthy discussion with party functionaries, cadres and officials on the HC order.
“Importance has been given only to MGR and Jayalalithaa in the cut-outs and banners. We welcome the HC order. Instructions have been given to the cadres and elected representatives to comply with the High Court order,” said Mr. Kumar.
He maintained that several banners and flex boards had already been removed in the city. No additional flex boards had been erected after the HC order. When contacted, Tiruchi Collector K. Rajamani told The Hindu: “Necessary instructions would be given to the officials immediately after receiving the formal direction.”
(With inputs from Udhav Naig in Chennai)
