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Kochi (Kerala): The Kerala High Court on Monday reprimanded a petitioner challenging the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the COVID-19 vaccination certificate for wasting judicial time, asking, “Why are you ashamed of our Prime Minister?”
The bench said that the petitioner is wasting judicial time and if he does not find any merit in the arguments of the petitioner, then the court will dispose of the petition. The petition was filed by an RTI activist Peter Mayaliparampil.
PV Kunhikrishnan’s single bench further said, “He is our Prime Minister, not the Prime Minister of any other country. He came to power with our mandate. Just because you have political differences, you cannot challenge it. Why are you ashamed of our Prime Minister? It seems that 100 crore people have no problem with this so why you? Everyone has a different political opinion. You are wasting judicial time.”
Pointing out that the petitioner was a state-level master coach of the Jawaharlal Nehru Leadership Institute, New Delhi, the court observed that “you work in an institution in the name of a prime minister. Why don’t you ask the university to remove it?
The bench further said, “I will go through the submissions of the petitioner and see whether there is any merit in the matter.” If I do not find any merit in their arguments, I will settle it.
The petition states that, “The petitioner had received the paid COVID-19 vaccination from a private hospital and thereafter obtained the vaccination certificate. The certificate contained a color photograph of the Prime Minister and the message: “Medicine and strict control”. (in Malayalam), India together will defeat COVID-19 (in English)” because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The national campaign against COVID-19 is being converted into a media campaign for the Prime Minister. The petitioner also addressed a representation to the Central Government for a vaccine certificate without the photograph of the PM, but received no response,” the petition further read.
“Government messaging and campaigns, especially when it uses government funds, should not identify any leader of the political party. This affects the free choice of the petitioner to vote, which is referred to as the People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of Recognized as the essence of the electoral system in India.
“Moreover, as per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court for campaigns using public funds in Common Cause v. Union of India, no person can be credited for the launch of an initiative or a certain policy of the State. cannot be celebrated for the achievements of the Government expenditure,” the petition read.
Read also: Kerala High Court quashes 2 FIRs against ED officials in gold smuggling case
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