Mango mark issue: HC directs Ramdas to approach High Court
Tamil Nadu: The Supreme Court on Monday directed PMK founder Dr. Ramadoss to approach the Madras High Court regarding the mango symbol issue.
PMK founder Ramadoss filed a petition in the Supreme Court on March 29th after the Chennai Civil Court rejected his request to ban the mango symbol.
The petition came up for hearing on Monday before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Jaymalya Bagchi.
At that time, lawyer Vikas Singh, representing PMK founder Ramadoss, argued: “Our demand is to block the symbol. We approached the Supreme Court seeking to block the mango symbol. The Supreme Court directed us to approach the Chennai Civil Court. Accordingly, we approached the civil court. However, no decision was reached. Instead, the civil court said the Election Commission should decide. The Election Commission said it did not interfere. However, the civil court said we should approach the Election Commission. The elections are scheduled for April 23rd.” But lawyer Vikas Singh, representing PMK founder Ramdas, argued that the issue of the mango symbol had not yet been decided.
The judges then questioned Dr. Ramdas, saying, “The Election Commission has reserved the mango symbol for the PMK, and you are saying it should be reserved for your faction. In any case, according to the civil court order, you should contact the Election Commission yourself.”
Responding to this, the lawyer representing PMK founder Ramdas said, “We are appealing to the Election Commission, and the Election Commission should issue an order to decide on this matter on Tuesday itself.”
Lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, representing Anbumani, argued that the Election Commission has already stated that the party and the symbol belong to Anbumani. He argued that he (Dr. Ramdas) is trying to destroy the party. The judges then jokingly remarked, “We’ve seen a father want his son to run the party after him. But it’s funny to hear a father say he can’t give a party to his son.”
The judges then ordered that the PMK founder approach the Madras High Court in this matter, and that the Madras High Court should hear the case given the urgency of the parties involved.
