Ready to proceed with hearing in Nissan case, TN informs HC

The Tamil Nadu government today informed the Madras High Court that it was ready to proceed with the hearing in the case it filed against Japanese auto-maker Nissan and that it need not be deferred.

Earlier, when the case had come up before Justice Anita Sumanth, senior counsel P S Raman, appearing for Nissan, had hinted at the possibility of an amicable solution with the government.

However, Advocate General Vijay Narayan, appearing for the government, today insisted that the court hear its plea to stall the international arbitration initiated by Nissan and grant interim relief.

"We are aggrieved by the international arbitration, there is some urgency on our side. We are ready to proceed with the hearing of the case and the court need not defer the hearing," he said.

To this, the judge asked, "What is the urgency when Tamil Nadu is not even a party to the arbitration? How is the application maintainable?"
The state had alleged that Nissan invoked the international arbitration clause of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Japan to "coerce the Tamil Nadu government."