Turban Issue: Contempt Petition Against Foreign Secretary

Chandigarh, May 3 (UNI) A writ petition, seeking initiation of proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act against Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Courts.

The petition was filed against Mr Menon for defying court directions to file a proper response to a pending PIL before the court on the issue of protection of Fundamental Rights of the Sikh community in context of continuing ban on the wearing of turban by Sikh students in schools of France.

Filed by city-based Singh Legal Foundation, the petition was likely to be taken up shortly for preliminary consideration and necessary action.

The petitioner foundation, through its Chairman M S Rahi, has referred to the orders of the court on October 16, 2006 and December 5, 2006, there being no ambiguity and the respondent (Union of India i.e. Foreign Secretary in this case) had not even the slightest justification for disobeying the same, especially when the court had made the urgency of the matter involved in the writ petition.

UNI