The Madras High Court, while dismissing a plea questioning the travel plans of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in violation of Section 144 and other lockdown regulations, observed that all COVID-19 norms should be followed when public functionaries attend private events.

Madras High Court

Chennai:

A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha made the observation on a plea moved by social activist ‘Traffic’ KR Ramaswamy questioning as to how the CM can travel across the State when prohibitory orders under Section 144 is in place.

The plea had also sought to restrict the number of participants in government events to a maximum of 20.

Advocate General Vijay Narayan, appearing for the government, sought the bench to impose exemplary cost against the petitioner for castigating the CM’s travel when he was working 16 hours a day given the COVID-19 spread.

Contending that as per the petitioner’s plea the CM should not work, the Advocate General on citing the Madras High Court rules held that Ramaswamy was yet to pay the costs imposed on him over three such frivolous pleas and hence the present petition should not be entertained.

Conceding to this, the bench closed the petition after directing strict adherence to lockdown guidelines by State functionaries while attending private events.

Traffic Ramaswamy, appearing party-in-person, submitted that his intention was not to restrict the CM’s movements but to establish that law is equal to all since many public functionaries were attending events resulting in large gatherings in total violation of the lockdown norms.

He also cited specific instances wherein over 200 people had gathered against the prevailing lockdown norms.