Centre to seek review of order on govt ads

The Centre will soon file a petition seeking review of the Supreme Court’s order that photographs of only the President, the Prime Minister, and the Chief Justice of India should be carried in government advertisements.

Attor ney general Mukul Rohatgi on Monday told a bench headed by justice Ranjan Gogoi that the review would be filed in the next two weeks. By then, it would also respond to the contempt petition accusing the Centre of not appointing an ombudsman to ensure government advertisements were in line with the SC guidelines issued on May 13.

Rohatgi later said, “I have advised the government to move a review in the case. We want the court to consider our plea that official advertisements need to carry photographs of ministers as well and not just that of the Prime Minister.”

According to him, government advertisements showcase the work done by various

ministries and it was, therefore,

AG MUKUL ROHATGI ARGUED THAT MINISTERS WERE ALSO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE AND DISCHARGED A PUBLIC DUTY

important that the photograph of the minister concer ned was there too. They were also the elected representatives of the people and discharge a public duty.

After hearing the AG, the bench fixed October 27 to hear the contempt pleas of petitioner NGOs Common Cause and Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

Four states — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and Kar nataka — have already filed petitions seeking review of the SC order. The four states want the SC to review its order restraining publication of the photographs of chief ministers. The court will also hear the states’ review petitions on the next date.