Ram withdraws plea for central protection

Averting a potential Centre-state clash on the issue of security cover to journalists at The Hindu newspaper who were issued notices for violating the privilege of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the newspaper today voluntarily withdrew a request for the central security following Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's assurance that the Supreme Court orders on the arrest of the reporters would be obeyed by the state police and that there was "absolutely no threat" to the newspaper.

However, Jayalalithaa's assurance said nothing about attacks on the newspaper and the journalists by AIADMK workers. Attacks on political and public figures by armed party squads are not unknown in Tamil Nadu.

Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar was recently attacked by a posse of people carrying rods and knives and purporting to be AIADMK workers. A similar attack using broken soda water bottles was launched against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram some years ago, when he criticised Jayalalithaa's style of functioning.

Law and order is in the control of the state government.

Yesterday, editor-in-chief of The Hindu N Ram had written a letter to Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani seeking central protection. This was followed by a letter from Jayalalithaa assuring Advani that the apex court order would not be violated.

She had also discouraged the Centre from taking any precipitate action by posting security forces in front of the office of The Hindu and at Ram's residence in Chennai. "This direction of yours is absolutely unwarranted and an extremely unfortunate one. I presume you have not been posted with the correct information leading to this move. It will be extremely unfortunate if this precipitate action is taken. May I suggest that the direction be rescinded forthwith?" Jayalalithaa had said.

Ram has interpreted this as "the acceptance (by the chief minister) of power of judicial review over matters of legislative privilege".

"This is perhaps the first time that a chief minister of a state, where the legislative Assembly has punished anyone for breach of privilege has publicly acknowledged the supremacy of the Constitution and the Supreme Court as the final interpreter and adjudicator of legislative privileges when they come into conflict with constitutional provisions, especially the Fundamental Rights," he said in a reference to Jayalalithaa's letter to Advani.

With both Jayalalithaa and The Hindu stepping back a few steps the immediate crisis confronting the Centre and the state government has been averted.

However, the Assembly will now have to decide how an order issued by the presiding officer will be operationalised.