AIADMK files contempt petition against CM, Minister

Chennai, Feb 13 (UNI) The Opposition AIADMK today filed a contempt petition seeking to punish Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, for alleged criticism of the judiciary and judges in a wedding function.

The petition filed by former Law Minister and AIADMK Fisheries Wing Secretary, D Jayakumar, is yet to be numbered.

Mr Jayakumar sought to issue notice to Mr Veerasamy and the Chief Minister for their appearance and after due enquiry, said they may be dealt with as per provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1973.

Mr Jayakumar submitted that he filed a petition questioning the legality of the Chennai Corporation elections and a Division Bench delivered a split verdict. Thereafter the matter was referred to a third judge and was pending for his opinion.

Ever since the judgement was delivered, there was public criticism of the government and unable to bear this, the duo took the opportunity during a marriage on February 4 and launched an onslaught on judges and the judiciary, he contended.

He submitted that the duo, without mincing words, deliberately threatened the judiciary and judges in particular, more specially making an imputation against the Chief Justice and Mr Justice F M Ibrahim Kalifullah using words like 'Katta Panchayat'.

Mr Veerasamy also said the High Court should give orders within the legal framework and queried why the Chief Justice of this court should make a suggestion to the government when the Chief Justice did not have powers to remove the State Election Commissioner.

Mr Karunanidhi, while referring to this speech, stated that everyone had been waiting all along to see who would bell the cat. Today, Mr Veerasamy had done it. The sound of this bell should reverberate throughout the state and bring about straightforwardness and integrity in the state, he added.

He contended that Mr Karunanidhi further stated that critics of his government should take into account that the Central Government had been supporting his regime, thereby threatening judges that all of them would be transferred. The utterances of both were in the nature of scandalizing and lowering the authority of the court apart from judges, in addition to causing interference in judicial proceedings now pending before the third judge, Mr Jayakumar added.

UNI