VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday quashed the petition filed by Telugu Desam MLC Buddha Venkanna complaining that officials were not giving caste certificates for SC, ST and BC candidates of the TDP and other opposition parties. It also gave a stern warning to him not to use the court as a platform for politics.
Hearing the petition filed by the TDP MLC, the High Court bench, comprising Chief Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice N Jayasurya, advised the TDP leader not to approach courts for small issues and look for alternative ways to resolve them.
Buddha Venkanna in his petition had claimed that apart from caste certificates, no dues certificates were also not being issued to the TDP and other opposition parties’ candidates. Petitioner’s counsel T Vishnu Teja argued that the government officials were acting in a unilateral manner.
Taking a serious view of his argument, the bench said if this was the case, then the candidates themselves should have approached the court and why TDP MLC filed the petition. If they are not concerned, why are you bothered? it questioned.
Expressing its ire, the bench warned the petitioner not to use the court as a platform for politics. It made clear that Buddha Venkatanna was in no way eligible to file the PIL. The MLC was advised to look for other legal alternatives.
The bench added the victims could even go to the election tribunal, if needed. When the petitioner’s counsel tried to argue further, the bench said it was not interested to hear further arguments and quashed the petition stating the court could not intervene in the matter.