A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Madras High Court, seeking a direction to the Home Secretary and Director General of Police to remove all unauthorised flag poles erected on public roads and other public places, besides preventing the erection of such poles in future.
The petitioner, B.R. Aravindakshan, has filed the case, by including the BJP, Congress, DMK, AIADMK, PMK, MDMK and VCK as the respondents. He contended all political parties were bound to respect the law of land and carry out their political campaigns and promotions within the limits of law.
Referring to the ruckus created over the recent removal of an unauthorised flag pole outside the residence of BJP State president K. Annamalai and the consequent call given by him to erect 10,000 flag poles across the State, the petitioner said, it might be a political ploy to gain electoral mileage but it could not be done against the law.
In an affidavit filed through his counsel P.T. Perumal, the petitioner said: “If such atrocities are permitted by the law and order machinery of the State, there will be large scale havoc and destruction of the public properties. A social danger is looming large. I am very much concerned about public peace and social harmony in Tamil Nadu.”
Claiming to have made a representation in this regard to the Home Secretary and the DGP on September 23, the litigant said: “It is a surprise that such authorities are not making any public announcement asking the political parties not to encourage unauthorised erection of flag poles.”
He insisted on issuing a direction to the officials to remove all unauthorised flag poles that had already been erected by political parties, other organisations and individuals in public places besides preventing them from erecting such poles.
