The Madras High Court on Wednesday cleared the decks for unveiling a commemorative arch constructed across Kamarajar Salai, that runs prallel to the Marina beach, to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, with a rider that no ceremony should be conducted for the inaugural event.
Refusal to budge
A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and P. Rajamanickam modified their November 19 order imposing a ban on inaugurating the arch and said that the arch could be unveiled either on the birth anniversary of the former Chief Minister on January 17 or any other day without any pomp.
Though a fervent plea was made on behalf of the State government to permit at least a five-minute-long ceremony for the formal inauguration of the arch, the judges refused to budge.
On November 19, the judges had permitted the government to continue the construction of the arch but restrained it from inaugurating it until further orders.
The interim order was passed on a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate D. Dinesh Kumar, who had contended that it was completely unnecessary on the part of the State to have spent ₹2.52 crore on the arch. He also claimed that the arch would hinder free movement of pedestrian as well as vehicular traffic on the busy road.
When the case was heard on Wednesday, the petitioner’s counsel S. Doraisamy objected to granting permission for unveiling the arch. However, in a veiled reference to the support extended by the lawyer for burial of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s remains on the Marina beach in August last, the senior judge said: “Mr. Doraisamy, you cannot be selective in your opposition.”
Taking a dig at the State government too for having chosen to do nothing worthwhile but for constructing an arch to commemorate MGR, the judge asked: “What else have you done to celebrate his birth centenary but for erecting flex boards across the State and causing inconvenience to the people?”
Referring to a Will left behind by MGR bequeathing his residence at Ramapuram in Porur here for running a school for those who could not hear or speak, the judge asked: “ How may deaf and dumb schools have you (State government) started to commemorate the memory of the leader? His objective is very clear from his Will.”
Later, the judges adjourned the PIL petition for further hearing to February 5.