J ANBAZHAGAN Vs. SPEAKER, TAMIL NADU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, purported to be filed in public interest, the petitioner, a Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elected from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly Constituency in Chennai from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party has, inter alia, sought orders on the respondents to remove the portrait of Selvi J.Jayalalithaa from the precincts of the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

(2.) A Press Release was issued by respondent no.3 and telecast through the visual media, announcing the decision taken by the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly on 10.02.2018 to unveil a portrait of Selvi J.Jayalalitha in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly Hall at 9.30 a.m. on Monday 12.02.2018 in the presence of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. The portrait was duly unveiled as scheduled, after which the petitioner filed this writ petition.

(3.) The petitioner has sought orders for removal of the portrait of Selvi J.Jayalalithaa, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, on the ground that she had been held guilty of corruption and possession of assets disproportionate to her known sources of income and convicted by a Special Court of offence inter alia under the Prevention of Corruption Act, by an order dated 27.09.2014 and sentenced inter alia to imprisonment of four years, apart from fine of Rs.100 crores.