CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday said no action would be forthcoming with regard to the removal of flagpoles of political parties installed in public places.
“Nothing will happen,” said Justice N Anand Venkatesh when advocate NGR Prasad, appearing for CPM state secretary P Shanmugam, requested the court to issue an interim injunction to restrain the revenue department authorities from taking action to remove the flagpoles until the larger bench decides on the appeals filed against a single judge’s order in this regard.
The judge further said he would wait until the larger bench decides on the matter, and posted the writ petition to August 18 for hearing.
The writ petition sought the court to quash an order issued by the revenue secretary directing the authorities to remove the flagpoles before the deadline of July 18 set by the single judge.
The root of the litigations is the order of the single judge - Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan - passed on January 27, 2025 in the Madurai Bench, to remove all flagpoles installed by political parties, communal organisations and others in public places within 12 weeks. An appeal filed against the order was rejected by a division bench headed by Justice J Nisha Banu in March.
Shanmugam had moved the court with appeals and review petitions against the orders. A division bench headed by Justice GR Swaminathan, hearing one of the petitions, referred the case to Chief Justice, observing it shall be heard by a larger bench. Subsequently, the larger bench was constituted on July 16, 2025.
