SC slams TN, KL for whipping up sentiments on Mullaperiyar


 Wednesday, 14 December 2011: A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed Tamil Nadu and Kerala for whipping up sentiments on the Mullaperiyar dam issue and “adding fire to the fuel instead of dousing it” by inciting people.
Urging the two states to observe “sensitiveness and sanity”, the apex court directed Tamil Nadu to ensure that the water level did not breach the 136 feet level and rejected Kerala’s plea for restricting the limit to 120 feet.
The bench comprising justices D K Jain, R M Lodha, Deepak Verma, C K Prasad and A R Dave also asked the Union Government to file its response by Thursday on Tamil Nadu’s plea for deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for ensuring safety of the century-old dam.
“Both the parties instead of dousing the fire are adding fuel to it. There has to be sanity and sensitiveness,” the bench observed.
Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal and senior counsel Ashok Bhan, who initially submitted that Kerala had taken sufficient measures to protect the dam, later agreed to file a reply after seeking necessary instructions from the government.
The bench also castigated Tamil Nadu for misusing the apex court’s earlier orders and oral observations through huge newspaper advertisements and also declined to entertain its plea for restraining Kerala leaders from making any statements on the dam row.
“How can we stop them with a gag order. Kindly see your prayer. How do we issue such a gag order. If somebody wants to protest he can.
“You are issuing press advertisements. Even our oral observations are being mentioned in the advertisements. It is very unfortunate. You must have had some senior counsel’s assistance while issuing the advertisements,” the bench remarked.

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