Two judges of the Madras High Court on Friday described as “shameful” numerous political posters having defaced almost every other wall at Greenways Road where Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, many other ministers and most of the High Court judges reside in government allotted bungalows.
Justices T.S. Sivagnanam and K. Ravichandrabaabu broached the subject during the hearing of a writ appeal preferred by Greater Chennai Corporation. The appeal challenged a direction issued by Justice S. Vaidyanathan to the State government to ban the use of pictures of living persons in flex boards, banners, hoardings and such other publicity materials.
During the course of hearing, the judges told a Government Pleader that there was a stark contrast between the small stretch of the Greenways Road, near Chettinad House, which was maintained spic and span with the walls of government buildings sporting a clean look and the other side, close to AMS Durgabhai Deshmukh Hospital, which was nothing but despicable.
Mr. Justice Sivagnanam pointed out that even the roads leading to the official residences of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister had not been spared. He said that at some places, the posters had been stuck even on the gates to the residences of Ministers and judges.
“The only wall that has been spared is that of Justice M. Sathyanarayanan,” he said.
Though he resides at his personal residence at Kottur Gardens in Kotturpuram, the judge said: “My brother (Mr. Justice Ravichandrabaabu) stays near the Chief Minister’s residence and no wall there is spared. This has been happening despite the presence of policemen. In no other State, they will deface walls like this on a daily basis,” he lamented.
Concurring with him, Mr. Justice Ravichandrabaabu remarked: “If you stand there (in Greenways Road) for five minutes, they will stick posters on you too.”
Later, the Madras High Court judges adjourned the hearing on the appeal to Monday at the request of the Government Pleader who said that the Advocate General would be conducting the case.
