HC declines to restrain TESO from observing 1-day bandh in TN

The Madras High Court today declined to restrain the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) from observing a one-day bandh across Tamil Nadu tomorrow.
TESO was revived recently by DMK president Karunanidhi, whose party is a key UPA ally, and the outfit has been staging protests against the Centre on the Lankan Tamils issue, even calling for a general strike on March 12.
Disposing of a petition, the First Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal and Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar, however, directed the authorities to consider the petitioner's representation and pass orders, in the light of the Supreme Court order on hartal or bandh or strike.

R Balasubramanian of Kolathur, in a PIL, cited media reports about the one-day strike organised by TESO and contended that the proposed bandh would cause hindrance to the general public.
Claiming to have sent a representation to authorities on March 6 seeking to ban the bandh to avoid monetary loss, law and order problem, the petitioner further prayed for a direction to authorities to consider his representation.
When the matter came up, the petitioner sought to implead another respondent and later in the evening he produced a copy of the telegram which he claimed to have sent to the fourth respondent just 10 minutes before.

"This attitude of the petitioner shows that the petitioner is not serious about the issue involved and he is interested only in publicity," the bench said.
"As the fourth respondent has not been served and the proposed bandh is to be held on March 12, we are not in a position to pass any effective order," the court said.
However, the bench directed authorities to consider the petitioner's representation and pass orders in the light of the Supreme Court's order on hartals, strikes and bandhs.