SC notice to Centre on review pleas on govt advertisements

The Supreme Court today sought a response from the Centre on the plea of state governments to review its landmark judgement barring the publication of photos of leaders in official advertisements except those of the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India.
A bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and P C Ghose issued notice to the Union government and the NGO Common Cause, which had filed the original PIL, on review petitions filed by the states.
"We will hear you and pass orders accordingly," the bench said while posting the matter for next hearing on October 13.
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Assam had moved the apex court seeking its nod to publish photographs of Chief Ministers on their advertisements.

Recently, the apex court had sought response from the Centre as to whether it has set up a three-member ombudsman to regulate advertisements issued by various governments and authorities in pursuance of its decision on the issue.
The court's notice had come on an application filed by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and AIADMK-run Tamil Nadu dispensation for "disobeying" apex court guidelines on public advertisements.
On May 13, the apex court had passed a slew of directions including the order asking the Centre to constitute a three- member committee "consisting of persons with unimpeachable neutrality and impartiality" to regulate the issue of public advertisements.