HC gives green signal for AIADMK meetings in edu institution

The Madras High Court today dismissed two PILs which sought a prayer not to allow tomorrow's executive and the general body meetings of AIADMK in the premises of Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Centre here as it was an educational institution.
Giving a green signal for the meetings, a division bench, comprising Justice K Kalyanasundaram and Justice S Vaidyanathan, however, directed the Advocate General to furnish details of fees paid by AIADMK workers to authorities for erection of hoardings, banners and flex boards in connection with meetings.
Details on permission granted by the authorities for erecting the hoardings, flex boards and banners would also be furnished to the court, they judges said.

Social activist "Traffic" Ramaswamy and "Satta Panchayat Iyakkam", a social organisation, contended that political party meetings should not be allowed to take place in the premises of educational institutions.
The Election Commission in its website had clearly stated that educational institutions, including private ones, should not allow their premises, including play-grounds, for any political activities, the PILs contended.
The land measuring seven acres and 44 cents had been assigned by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board to the institution for Rs 33.46 crore in July, 2014, which was very low when compared to the prevailing market value. This itself raised a suspicion over the activities of the government. The management had allowed its ground for holding the meetings, the PIL submitted.

The meetings were not for public purpose, they said

Dismissing the petitions, the bench said "there is no hard and fast rule for prohibiting anyone from conducting a meeting."
The bench, while rejecting the arguments with regard to the clause 3 of the sale deed that the property should not be used for any purpose other than the educational purpose, in its order said "the said contention is not the subject matter to be dealt with."
Advocate General AL Somayaji submitted that "as on today there is no notification regarding holding of any election and that the said code of conduct comes into force only from the date of notification."

Hence the contention of the petitioners that the model code of conduct was violated by AIADMK by using the venue of an educational institution has to be rejected, the judges said.