'TN could be in for President's rule'

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court, while taking a serious note of the alleged non-compliance of its order on the state-sponsored bandh on Monday, warned the Tamil Nadu government that it would not hesitate asking the Centre to impose President’s rule in the state. It also held out a threat of contempt of court against the state chief secretary.

A Bench comprising Justice BN Agrawal and Justice P Sathasivam said: “If there is no compliance with our order, it is complete breakdown of constitutional machinery. We will then have to direct the government to impose President’s rule.”
In an unusual sitting on Sunday, the apex court had stayed the proposed bandh in the state on October 1 and asked the ruling DMK-led government to desist from going ahead with the move, terming it “illegal”.
The court threatened the state government with dismissal after the AIADMK counsel raised the issue during mentioning time — period earmarked to take up urgent matters — alleging virtual bandh in the state despite the court order against it. “Is this a government? Is this the Tamil Nadu government? Is this the DMK government, a strong ally of UPA government? If this is the attitude of the DMK government, the UPA government should not feel shy of dismissing it and imposing President rule,” the Bench plainly observed.

The AIADMK counsel submitted that the apex court order was not being complied with by the government and the state-run buses were off roads. The state CM himself was sitting on a dharna in support of the bandh. At one point, the counsel even remarked that though the operation was successful, the patient had died. Taking a stern view, the court said that in case of non-compliance, it would not hesitate to summon the state chief secretary. “You (AIADMK) can file a contempt petition,” it added.

However, this was contested by the DMK counsel, who contended that only party leaders were on a hunger strike and a few unions participated. Expressing dismay at the government doing nothing to circumvent the bandh, the court said, “What is the government doing when some unions are trying to perpetuate the bandh...

The unions are being allowed to strike and the government is not doing anything.” The court said right now it was not passing any order, but warned the state to comply with its order in both letter and spirit.