The Hindu 11.11.2010
Bench: Mayor extends support for stir
Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Mayor K. Chandrika said here on Wednesday that the Corporation would request the Central and State governments to expedite steps for setting up a High Court Bench in the city.
Inaugurating a sitting in front of the Vanchiyoor court complex to mark the 1,000 day of the stir for the High Court Bench, Ms. Chandrika said the Corporation would support the strike and take all measures possible to realise the demand. Action council chairman Konchira G. Neelakantan Nair presided over the function. MLA Varkala Kahar; former MP Pannian Raveendran; CPI district secretary P. Ramachandran Nair; DCC general secretary G. Gopidas; BJP district secretary S. Suresh; Shiv Sena district secretary Peroorkada Harikumar; and representatives of FRAT and TRAC were present.
Shashi Tharoor, MP, expressed his solidarity with the lawyers’ community for the stir. In a statement here, Mr. Tharoor said although the State Cabinet and the Assembly took favourable decisions on setting up the Bench, consent from the Chief Justice of Kerala was still pending.
He said there was resistance from vested interests against setting up the Bench in the capital. Mr. Tharoor added that he had taken up the case with Justice J. Chelameshwar, Chief Justice of Kerala, and Veerappa Moily, Union Law Minister, who had asked for a renewed request from the State government.
The Shiv Sena blamed the Central and State governments for the delay in setting up the Bench.
In a statement here, Mr.Harikumar said with the High Court not responding favourably, the onus was now on the Central government to take the initiative for setting up the Bench. The statement added that the State government should put pressure on the Centre to take immediate action.
