SC dismisses OPS plea, slams police act

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the petition of former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam against the Madras High Court judgment to hand over the key of AIADMK headquarters to the party’s interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami even as it termed the attachment of office “an extreme measure” in a democracy.

A bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud said the High Court’s decision two months ago has more or less restored the peace.

The trouble began when the followers of Panneerselvam and E Palaniswami clashed outside the party headquarters on July 11, after a general council meeting was called there. The violence had led the South Chennai Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) to lock, seal and attach the party headquarters.

“To attach the office of a political party is an extraordinary measure. Two factions of a party may behave in an unruly manner but you cannot attach the party office,” Justice Chandrachud observed. “The FIR on the incident is conspicuously silent about the attachment of the property,” he added.

O Panneerselvam, commonly known as OPS, faced a huge setback in his political career on July 11 when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in its General Council meeting expelled him from the party’s primary membership and his post of treasurer. His supporters also faced the same action.