High Court criticizes Tamil Nadu governmment over techie's death

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday came down heavily on the Tamil Nadu government and politicians for not implementing its orders following the death of a 23-year-old woman who was run over when she fell off her two-wheeler after being struck by a banner of the ruling AIADMK on Thursday here.

Hearing a contempt petition filed for non-compliance of the court order banning political parties from putting up banners, the court asked as to "how many more litres of blood should paint the roads" for the officials to turn sensitive and start cracking down on illegal banners.

The court said the victim Subashree was in the prime of her life and would have contributed to the country's growth and asked who would answer her parents now.

The court also said it has lost faith in the government following its failure to implement its orders issued over the past several years against illegal banners.

The court also wondered whether politicians would not attend weddings if banners were not put up.

The court said Chief Minister K. Palaniswami should issue a statement asking his partymen to desist from such acts.

Meanwhile political parties in Tamil Nadu have urged their cadres not to put up banners or hoardings.

In a joint statement AIADMK's Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator and Chief Minister K. Palaniswami requested the party members to desist from putting up hoardings and banners.

They said party members should not indulge in any action that would impact the people.

However the two leaders were silent on the death of Subashree.

On the other hand DMK President M.K. Stalin sent out a strong warning to his party members saying that he will not participate in any function if banners or hoardings are put up.

Stalin also said strict action will be taken by the party against those who put up hoardings and banners, inconveniencing the public and hindering traffic flow.

Stalin had condemned the AIADMK government and state police for the death of the 23-year-old woman who was run over by a tanker when she fell off her two-wheeler after she was struck by a banner put up by a ruling party functionary on Thursday here.

He said one or two party banners could be installed where the party's public meetings and functions are held after getting due permission.

Subashree working in a software company was run over by a water tanker after she fell off her vehicle when an illegal life-size hoarding put up by a ruling AIADMK functionary fell on her on Thursday.

Even though the Madras High Court had banned hoardings in public places, AIADMK party official C. Jayagopal had put up the banner at the centre of the busy Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road.

Subashree was returning home from office when the accident happened.

The banner had the images of Chief Minister Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam, late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and others for Jayagopal's family wedding.

Panneerselvam had also attended that wedding.

Expressing condolences for Subashree's death DMK President Stalin tweeted: "How many lives have to be sacrificed for such arrogance of power."

He said an illegal hoarding had killed Subashree owing to government's carelessness, irresponsibility of the officials and the inability of the police.

In a tweet PMK founder S. Ramadoss said bannerless functions are a sign of political maturity and the party has fined its cadres who had erected them.

On his part, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, General Secretary of AMMK expressing his condolence for the death of Subashree urged his party cadres to desist from putting up banners.

Action has been initiated against the people who had installed the banner and police have arrested the tanker driver for rash driving.

The Chennai Corporation has also sealed the printing press that printed the banner.