The Madras High Court Bench in Madurai on Wednesday posted for orders on December 22, a public interest litigation seeking a direction to replace the portraits of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in government offices with those of her successor, O. Panneerselvam.
A Division Bench of Justices V. Dhanapalan and V.M. Velumani passed the order after Advocate General A.L. Somayaji produced a 2006 Government Order permitting government offices to display portraits of former Chief Ministers alongside other eminent personalities.
Convicted Chief Ministers
However, petitioner's counsel W. Peter Ramesh Kumar took strong exception to the AG's submission and contended that it was improper to display portraits of Ms. Jayalalithaa, who had lost the right to hold the office after her conviction in a corruption case.
Claiming that the portraits of former Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav of Bihar and A.R. Antulay of Maharashtra were removed from government offices following their convictions in criminal cases, he sought time to produce documents to substantiate his claim.
The Bench accepted his request and posted the matter for orders on December 22.
S. Karunanithi, a Madurai-based lawyer , had filed the PIL.
