HC directs govt to file reply in 1 week on PIL

The Madras High Court today directed Additional Government Pleader R Sanjay Gandhi to submit within a week his response to a petition by an advocate, faulting police with allowing a demonstration by a caste-based in front of the Congress headquarters here on December 12 this year.
Justice V Ramasubramanian, before whom the petition filed by advocate A P Suryaprakasam Advocate came up, gave this direction to the Pleader.
The petitioner submitted that the protest was staged after former union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's son Karti's reported comments on late Congress leader and former Chief Minister K Kamaraj.
Suryapraksam contended the party is committed to the ideals of the late CM and there was no disrespect shown to him by any Congress leader. Under the circumstances, police were at fault in allowing the protest by a caste-based outfit, he said.

Such protests had the potential to curb free expression of ideas and political activities, he said.
The petitioner alleged that though there are designated spots in Chennai for protests and that police would never permit any political, religious or social organization to hold meetings in places other than these areas, it was illegal on their part to permit demonstration in front of the TNCC headquarters 'Satyamurthy Bhavan' on December 12.

He sought a direction from the authorities to identify the people behind the event and take action against them in accordance with law.
At a Youth Congress meeting here on November 20, Karti, an AICC member, had said "even as we go ahead with the slogan of bringing back the rule of Kamaraj and historical achivements, we also need to put forth development plans for Tamil Nadu."

The remark had triggered a furore with some leaders alleging that the iconic Congress leader had been denigrated.
On November 22, Karti had refuted the criticism that he had denigrated Kamaraj and said he had only batted for projection of development goals, along with the slogan of "Kamaraj rule", to win people's support.