By IANS
New Delhi : Furious with the Tamil Nadu government for not complying with its order banning a shutdown, the Supreme Court Monday threatened to have it sacked and initiate contempt of court proceedings against Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and the state chief secretary.
An apex court bench headed by Acting Chief Justice B.N. Agarwal and Justice P. Sathasivam threatened the government with dire consequences after it was informed by the opposition AIADMK that the state was not implementing its Sunday order against the shutdown – called to demand early completion of the Sethusamudram shipping canal.
Making a special mention before the bench, AIIADMK counsel Guru Krishna Kumar said public transport was off the roads despite the bench’s unusual order on Sunday, a holiday, to the DMK government to desist from enforcing an illegal shutdown.
Even shops in various towns and cities were closed, Kumar said.
“This is not merely violation of our order, but a complete breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the state,” thundered Justice Agrawal.
“If this is the situation, we will have to direct the central government to impose President’s rule in the state,” he added firmly.
“If you make out a case for contempt to court, we will not hesitate in summoning even the chief minister and the chief secretary,” the bench said.
The court said that the DMK was an ally of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in New Delhi. But “if this is the attitude of DMK, the central government should not feel shy of dismissing it”.
The lawyer for the ruling DMK, however, told the Supreme Court that party leaders were on fast and only trade unions could be blamed for the disruption of normal life in the state.
The state’s main opposition party AIADMK had approached the court alleging that Sunday’s order was not being followed and government buses were not plying across the state.
On Sunday, the bench had ruled against the shutdown called by the DMK following a three-hour hearing of an AIADMK plea.