DMK retreats after SC remarks

Court order on Sethusamudram bandh invites strong protests from political parties.

It was arguably the shortest bandh in history. The Tamil Nadu government called a bandh in support of the Sethusamudram project but turned tail and abandoned the plan when the Supreme Court passed harsh remarks "" not an order, only observations "" against those who did not respect the judiciary.

Having given a prior notice for a bandh, the government, led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), did not expect the Supreme Court's scathing observations on Sunday. Thus, this morning, the state was in a shutdown mode, to press for speedy implementation of the Sethusamudram project.

Few buses plied, shopkeepers downed shutters, cinema houses remained closed and there was thin attendance in government offices.

When Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who began the day with a dawn-to-dusk hunger strike, rushed to the secretariat on hearing about the Supreme Court's stinging remarks, ministerial colleagues followed suit.

That the court was furious about the defiance of its ruling was not in doubt. When the counsel submitted in the Supreme Court that the order was being ignored, the judges asked, "Is this a government? Is this the DMK government, a strong ally of the 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 judges said if the state government did not comply with the order, the court would not hesitate to summon the chief secretary. They also told the counsel that he was free to file a contempt petition.

The DMK counsel told the court that only party leaders were sitting on a fast. When he said that only some unions were involved in such activities, the judges shot back, "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." They asked the state government to follow the order in letter and spirit.

Official sources said shortly after the observations, Chief Secretary LK Tripathy ordered that the state's public transport be made functional. But little improvement was seen on the roads.

Karunanidhi told reporters there had been no bandh in the state and there was no Constitutional breakdown. "For you, there might be, but for us normal life was not affected," he said after attending to his official work. He said buses were plying and life remained unaffected. "Those who were born as Tamils have voluntarily closed their shops," he said.

On the fast organised by the DMK and its allies, he said the apex court had not banned it. "We are abiding by the court (order)," he said.

Senior DMK leader and Union Minister TR Baalu wondered if the courts were giving right decisions. "Why would there be appeals or higher Benches if every judge was right?"

In Kolkata, the CPI(M) described as the Supreme Court remarks as "judicial encroachment" and "uncalled for."

"We are surprised to see the observation of the apex court. We consider the right to organise peaceful protests as a basic right of political parties and citizens. Judicial encroachment is uncalled for," said party General Secretary Prakash Karat.