PTI
New Delhi: In a move that has come as a major relief to many states, including poll-bound West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, the Supreme Court Friday modified its earlier order and allowed photographs of Governors, Chief Ministers and ministers to be carried in advertisements.
The court, in its verdict last year, had held that only the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India can feature in government advertisements, a decision that was later challenged by the Centre and seven states.
“The exception carved out in paragraph 23 of …judgment dated May 13, 2015, permitting publication of the photographs of the President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice of the country, subject to the said authorities themselves deciding the question, is now extended to the Governors and the Chief Ministers of the states,” a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said.
The bench also comprising Justice P C Ghose said, “In lieu of the photograph of the Prime Minister, the photograph of the departmental (Cabinet) minister/ minister In-charge of the concerned ministry may be published, if so desired.”
It said that similarly in the states, the photograph of the Cabinet minister or minister in-charge in lieu of the photograph of the Chief Minister could be published, if so desired.
The bench, however, clarified that all other directions in the judgment of May 2015 shall continue to “remain in force”.
The apex court verdict came on pleas by Centre and seven states, including Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which had sought a review of the May 13, 2015, verdict of the court, saying that it infringed on fundamental rights and the federal structure of the country.
Earlier, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Centre, had strongly favoured a review of the verdict on various grounds including that if the Prime Minister’s photograph is allowed in the advertisements then the same right should be available to his cabinet colleagues as the Prime Minister is the “first among the equals”.
