HC order on farm loan waiver should not set precedent: Minister

‘Moved SC to clarify if court can decide on Assembly matters’

Sellur K. Raju

The Tamil Nadu government, which has moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court order for expansion of farm loan waiver to all farmers, did so only to get a clarification on whether the judiciary had the powers to decide on matters that were to be decided by the Legislature, Cooperation Minister Sellur K. Raju claimed in the Assembly here on Friday.

“We moved the appeal only to get a clarification whether the courts have powers to decide on these matters which are only approved by the Assembly. It should not set a precedent in matters like these,” Mr. Raju said in the House and raised questions on whether the court was wrong in delivering such orders.

Waiver for all

Though Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Leader of the House K.A. Sengottaiyan wanted to offer a word of advice and passed on a chit to the Minister, Mr. Raju went on with his observations against the judiciary.

Objecting to Minister’s observations, DMK Deputy Floor Leader M. Duraimurugan argued tongue-in-cheek that the Minister should not go into the details of the case since it was pending before the Supreme Court. (Two days ago the Speaker had denied permission to the DMK MLAs to raise an issue relating to alleged ‘cash for vote’ scam citing that the matter was in court.)

During a debate on the demand for grants relating to Cooperation Department in the House, Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin referred to the appeal filed by Tamil Nadu government against the order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court and urged the government to withdraw it.

Earlier, DMK MLA and former Minister E.V. Velu (Tiruvannamalai) too urged the AIADMK government to waive farm loans.