Plea against jubilee arch politically motivated: Government

The advocate who challenged the construction of an arch to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the TN Assembly on Rajaji Salai near War Memorial is a DMK man and hence his plea is politically motivated, the Chief Secretary and the PWD secretary submitted in their common counter-affidavit filed before the Madras High Court on Thursday.

The counter was filed by special government pleader I S Inbadurai before a division bench comprising Justices R Banumathi and K K Sasidharan in response to a public interest writ petition from M S Arasakumar of Kodambakkam seeking to restrain the government from erecting the arch. The counter said that the petitioner and his father belonged to the DMK and it was obvious that the petition was politically motivated, vexatious and frivolous. The Chennai Corporation and the Public Works Department granted permission to erect the arch on the eve of the celebrations. The arch was planned in such a way that it would not pose any hindrance to the movement of vehicles on Rajaji Salai, which was an undivided four-lane carriageway.

The pillars of the arch would be erected on both the sides of the pavement with openings for pedestrians. The road width of 18.70 metres would be maintained even after its construction. The height would be 6.50 meters.

It would be completed in 90 days, the counter said. The matter will come up again on Dec 12.