Apex Court notice on plea for using CM photos in govt ads

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Central government and NGOs – Common Cause and Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) – on a plea by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam and West Bengal, seeking the recall of its order prohibiting the use of photographs of governors and chief ministers in advertisements issued by the government and its agencies.

A Bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, while issuing the notice, directed the hearing of the matter on October 13. Notice has also been issued to all the states, thereby, giving them an opportunity to place their views before the court.

The Bench, after considering the matter in their chamber on September 9, had decided to hear it in the open court on Monday. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam and West Bengal are seeking the recall of the Apex Court’s May 13 order prohibiting the use of photographs of the governor, chief minister, ministers, and political leaders in advertisements issued by the government and its agencies.

Holding that the usage of photos promoted a “personality cult”, the court had said: “Photographs, therefore, have the potential of developing the personality cult and the image of a one or a few individuals which is a direct antithesis of democratic functioning.”

It had, however, permitted the use of photos of the President, PM, Chief Justice of India and departed leaders, including Father of the Nation in ads.