The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Union Transport Minister T R Baalu, Chief Secretary L K Tripathi, Tamil Nadu Transport Minister K N Nehru, Director General of Police P Rajendran and Transport Secretary Debendranath Sarangi on a contempt petition filed by the AIADMK in connection with a state-wide bandh on October 1.A Bench comprising Justice B N Aggrwal and P P Naolekar asked them to file their replies within four weeks but exempted them from personal appearance.The DMK and its allies, the Congress, PMK and Left parties, under the umbrella of the Democratic Progressive Alliance, had announced the bandh to press the Centre to immediately implement the Sethusamudram project. However, on a petition filed by the AIADMK, the Supreme Court on September 30 at a special hearing directed the parties not to go ahead with the bandh.The DPA organised hungerstrikes across the state instead. But essential services were affected and the state machinery virtually came to a halt. The AIADMK then filed a contempt plea in the court, accusing the DMK of creating a ‘bandh’ like situation violating the directions of the court.Reacting to the notice, in Chennai, Karunanidhi said he would abide by the court and send a response soon.“I always abide by the courts. I will be responding to the notice,” he told reporters when a reaction was sought from him. As for the AIADMK’s contempt petition, he retorted: “The AIADMK is always a condemned party.”
