Midnight HC hearing averted showdown

In a sigh of relief to AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, the Madras High Court has in the wee hours of Thursday directed the AIADMK General Council not to amend any bye-laws beyond the 23 draft agendas given to OPS.

After a back-to-back hearing from 2.40 am, a division bench of Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice Sunder Mohan passed the orders around 4.45 am.

“The party coordinators and joint coordinators had given their consent to 23 draft resolutions. However, they have not given approval to any other in connection with amendments in Rule 20 A 1 to 13 and 45. Therefore, the appellant has made a prima facie case for granting an interim injunction,” the bench observed.

OPS supporter and GC member Shanmugam, had challenged the order of a single judge allowing the AIADMK to conduct its GC and shall pass any resolutions.

Hours after Justice Krishnan Ramasamy passed an order in favour of Leader of Opposition and party joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami, OPS faction requested the Chief Justice of Madras HC Munishwar Nath Bhandari for the late-night hearing of their appeal petition. As the CJ approved it by 11.30 pm on Wednesday, the division bench sat at Justice M Duraiswamy’s house. Senior Advocate Arvindh Pandian appearing for OPS submitted that his client had given nod to 23 draft agendas and if there is any other resolution beyond these, the coordinator will not give his consent.

Former AG A Vijay Narayan, defending EPS argued that anything can happen in the GC meet.

After the case for the burial of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi in 2018, the MHC entertained a midnight hearing.