Supreme Court slaps Karunanidhi, Congress, and Communists, Again.

Your Bandh Call Is Illegal. Stop it.

The Supreme Court on Sunday passed an unprecedented order restraining the ruling DMK-led coalition of Congress, Communists, PMK etc, from going ahead with its Tamil Nadu bandh on Monday or any other day and warned it not to 'play with fire' as an apex court judgment had already banned bandhs.

Hearing an 'urgent' petition filed by DMK's archrival, AIADMK, on a Sunday on the Supreme Court premises — the usual practice on non-working days is to hold court in a judge's residence — a bench comprising Justices BN Agrawal and PP Naolekar declared, "So long as the Supreme Court judgment is there, there cannot be a bandh."

"Dont Play With Fire!", the Court said

In a veiled warning to the DMK and its allies not to fool around with the apex court's order and go ahead with its planned bandh on Monday or any other day, the bench said, "Do not play with fire. If you do (go ahead with the bandh), it is illegal as per law laid down by the Supreme Court."

"Whom are you protesting against, after all???", the Court asked

During the hearing, the bench wanted to know from the state as well as the ruling party why the bandh had been called. Was it to protest against the Centre, the project or the Supreme Court, it asked.

An already chastened DMK counsel replied the bandh call was to get the project implemented as soon as possible.

Exactly a month ago, on August 30, an SC bench headed by Justice Agrawal, hearing a plea on the validity of the Sethusamudram project, had restrained the Centre from damaging the Ram Setu or Adam's Bridge.

Bandh, Hartal, whatever. Illegal.

Justices B N Agrawal and P P Naolekar asked DMK counsel A K Ganguly, "Your (DMK's) own resolution says that on October 1, there will be complete cessation of all activities. If that is so, how can you say it is not a bandh but a hartal?"

Noting that political parties generally step around the 1998 judgment by calling for a 'hartal' instead of 'bandh', the bench said, "In our country, we have come to a stage where everything has to be dealt with an iron hand. Nothing moves even after our orders. We have to issue contempt and monitor. Things have come to this stage."

The bench added, "Orders of the Supreme Court are not complied with, what to talk of the high courts where 99% of the orders are not obeyed."

And still, in contempt to the court, State Transport Off road.

CHENNAI: Though the Supreme Court had stayed the Tamil Nadu bandh called on Monday by the ruling DMK and its allies on the Sethusamudram project issue, buses in most parts of the state were off the roads and shops in main thoroughfares remained closed.

It was a 'virtual bandh' in the state, with Southern Railways operating only skeletal services.

However, autorickshaws and taxis were seen plying in the city.

Chief Minister and DMK patriach M Karunanidhi, along with leaders of Congress and Communists are on day-long fast in front of the guest house here on Monday morning, demanding early implementation of the Sethusamudram project.