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Kerala High Court on Monday lashed out at the state government in the matter of illegal installation of boards and banners at public places across the state and sought the secretary of industries to file an affidavit in the matter.
The High Court observed that there cannot be greater equanimity and patience than that shown by this court. High Court also directed the secretary of the Industries Department to file an affidavit before 1:45 pm on Wednesday when the court would consider the matter again. The court also made it clear that on the failure of the secretary to do so, he ought to be present in person to give an explanation for the same. The Amicus Curiae advocate Harish Vasudevan informed the court that there was a blatant violation of the orders of the court in Thiruvananthapuram city. "90 per cent of the boards are from government agencies which have faces of the Chief Minister, the ministers, the constitutional and statutory authorities. In the name of a religious festival, the entire city was flooded with festoons yesterday. I don't know if it has been removed today", Vasudevan submitted. A single bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran observed that "This court has been acting with equanimity. This is now being treated as a weakness. There cannot be greater equanimity and patience than that shown by this court." "The Secretary, Industries Department is acting in a way that they do anything. Perhaps, the time has come for this court to prove otherwise. When the government agencies are doing this, what kind of message are we giving out? What kind of image and impression are we creating?" said the court. Justice Ramachandram further stated, "The government cannot think that it is different from the people. The government is the people. People are the government. I don't know what kind of idiosyncrasy we are seeing when the government itself violates every one of the rules. What can the court do when the people are also silent?" the court submitted. The court also said, "Are we understanding the scale of ludicrousness that we are now watching? I don't think people understand that. The government issues the orders notices saying this should be removed, and they themselves put up all this with the head and face of the highest authorities of the government." (ANI)
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