HC orders removal of MGR event hoardings

Chen nai: the valedictory function of the year-long celebrations of late actorchief minister MG Ramachandran’s (MGR) birth centenary rolled on in Chennai on Sunday, but the Madras High Court ordered removal of hoardings erected by the ruling Anna DMK across the city hours before the event was to start.

More than 1,800 hoardings were erected across the city for the MGR centenary celebrations which was being staged at the YMCA Grounds in Nandaman on Sunday evening. Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad acted on a petition iled By reputed social Activist “TRAFIC” KR Ramaswamy.

The judges also asked the Greater Chennai Corporation and the city police for a report on the hoardings, set up largely illegally, before October 8. The court found that some of its directives about erecting hoardings have not been Followed By oficials.

The counsel for the government, which sponsored the celebrations of the ruling Anna DMK’S founder, denied any such DEIANCE AND told THE Court that rules were followed and hoardings erected without permission were removed already.

CHENNAI Corporation oficials HAD removed some on Saturday.

Ramaswamy in his plea said, “More than 100 residents have submitted Complaints to oficials. Many HOARDINGS have been erected in Guindy, T. Nagar, Kamaraj Salai, Santhome High Road, Raja Annamalaipuram, Mylapore and Chepauk.”

Pattali Makkal Katchi leader and former union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss earlier demanded that the High Court should pull up Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami for what his party has done. Ramadoss said 138 hoardings had been placed for more than 1.1 km on Anna Salai leading up to the YMCA Nandanam grounds.

THE CELEBRATION inale, MEANWHILE, was ignored by opposition party leaders who were invited to it. Leader of opposition and DMK chief M K Stalin stayed away. MGR HAD loated THE ADMK AFTER splitting with Stalin’s father, late M. Karunanidhi, and the DMK. Accusing the ADMK government of using MG Ramachandran’s birth centenary for “political mileage,” Stalin said he would not attend the valedictory function in Chennai.

AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, who stayed with the ADMK until last year, questioned the very legitimacy of the event. Dhinakaran alleged that the ruling the party was luring people by paying Rs1,000 per head to attend the event in Chennai and create a false impression that the cadre was with it.