New Delhi: The Centre and some states including poll-bound West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Wednesday sought revision of the Supreme Court verdict barring publication of leaders’ photos in advertisements except those of President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India, saying that it infringed fundamental rights and federal structure.
The bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi reserved its verdict on the review pleas of the Centre and seven states after hearing the day-long arguments in which it was submitted that besides Prime Minister, pictures of central ministers, Chief Ministers and others state ministers be allowed to be carried in public advertisements.
Meanwhile, the bench, also comprising Justice P C Ghose, issued notice to Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and AIADMK-run Tamil Nadu dispensation on a separate plea of NGO Common Cause seeking initiation of contempt action against them for “disobeying” the apex court guidelines on public advertisements. The bench also asked Delhi and Tamil Nadu to reply to its notice within six weeks. The court had earlier barred publication of photos of leaders in government advertisements except those of the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India. At the outset, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Centre, on Wednesday strongly favoured review of the verdict on various grounds including that if Prime Minister’s photograph is allowed in the advertisements then the same right should be available to his cabinet colleagues as the PM is the “first among the equals”.
