The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered notice on a petition by MDMK general secretary Vaiko challenging an order of November this year of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, New Delhi, confirming a Centre's notification declaring the LTTE as an unlawful association.
In his petition, Mr. Vaiko had said that as a person interested in the welfare of oppressed Tamils living in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka and as a sympathiser and a person convinced that the LTTE was the sole representative of Eelam Tamils, he filed a petition before the tribunal for impleading himself in the proceedings. His application was dismissed. He prayed the court to call for the records relating to the tribunal's order dated November 12 and quash the same. The order was contrary to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, opposed to the principles of natural justice and vitiated by error of law on the face of the record, he said. When the petition came up before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, Mr. Vaiko argued that he was an affected party because of the tribunal's order. Aggrieved over the tribunal's order, he was challenging it.
The Additional Solicitor-General, M. Ravindran, said as per Section 6 of the Act, the petitioner could approach the Central government seeking recall of the notification.
Mr. Vaiko said that approaching the Centre was not an effective remedy.
The Additional Solicitor-General took notice. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.
