Madras High Court has directed the election commission to submit details of the basis on which it had decided to conceal the painting on small buses.
The first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundresh on Thursday also made it clear that election commission has power to pass such orders. G Rajagopalan, senior counsel for the election commission, sought time till Friday to clarify as to how the decision was taken on the basis of perception and subjective satisfaction of election commission authorities. Advocate-general A L Somayaji, assisted by counsel for transport corporations I S Inbathurai, said transport department should have been heard by the commission. “They took the decision without giving notice,” he stated.
He also stated that EC’s observation that the paintings were virtual advertisement for the AIADMK amounts to casting aspersions on the government.
Meanwhile, DMK treasurer M K Stalin in his counter affidavit stated that his party reserves its right to agitate the unresolved issues and objectionable decisions made by the election commission more particularly in refusing to cover the giant sized Two Leaves statue erected at MGR memorial.