MHC judge holds midnight hearing at Ambedkar memorial as State govt fails to arrange amenities for gathering
When Additional Advocate General J Ravindran objected to this, Justice SM Subramanian personally drove down to the memorial along with the AAG and the petitioners' counsel to take stock of the situation
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Saturday conducted a late-night hearing at Ambedkar Memorial in Chennai as the State government failed to arrange even basic amenities for public gathering at the late leader's Memorial.
Hearing the urgent plea moved by K Senthamizhselvi and Niranjan Vijayan seeking directions to the State government to enforce the arrangements (basic amenities) conceded by itself in its affidavit submitted before the High Court, Justice SM Subramanian at 11.30 pm on Saturday, April 13 personally drove his car to Ambedkar Memorial from his residence at Greenways Road and inspected the Memorial and heard arguments there.
During the hearing, counsel AB Karl Marx Siddharthar representing the petitioners contended that the Director of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) of Tamil Nadu government did not enforce the arrangements conceded by themself in its affidavit, which was submitted before the Court and even after the Court's order, there is no adequate arrangement for Shamiana was not made inside the Ambedkar Memorial for the public.
When Additional Advocate General J Ravindran objected to this, Justice SM Subramanian drove down to the memorial along with AAG J Ravindran and the petitioners' counsel AB Karl Marx Siddharthar to take stock of the situation.
Subsequently, the Court ordered with its sitting at the Memorial venue itself, that the DIPR should provide basic amenities including two Aravian tents to the public at the Ambedkar memorial on his birth anniversary, April 14.
Meanwhile, commotion prevailed at the Ambedkar memorial on Sunday when the police denied entry for the young couple and their families, who had visited the memorial for their self-respect marriage, citing protocol of chief minister MK Stalin's visit to the memorial.
Retired Justice of Madras High Court D Hariparanthaman and Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam president Kolathur Mani were also denied entry by the police with their entire crew and aggrieved over such restriction by the police, the marriage between the Dalit couple was performed outside the memorial after registering strong protest to police action.
