A PIL petition seeking to restrain the Centre from sending delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled in Sri Lanka from November 15, was filed in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday.
A bench comprising Justices M Jaichandren and S Vaidyanathan, after hearing the preliminary arguments of the petitioner's counsel, the Additional Advocate General and the Assistant Solicitor General, post the case to Tuesday for further hearing.
Petitioner Royce Emmanuel S, a city advocate, said he had submitted a representation on October 25 to the Centre to restrain any Indian delegation from participating in the two-day summit.
He moved the Court as his representation was not considered, the petitioner submitted.
Pointing out to a resolution passed by Tamil Nadu Assembly on October 24 opposing India's participation in the summit and some other resolutions related to plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka, he said the Centre had so far failed to consider these.
Referring to the attacks on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, he charged the Union government with not taking any action.
He claimed about one lakh Tamils residing in the Island Nation were killed in 2009 the civil war and alleged India was a 'mute spectator' to it.
Therefore, he prayed the court to issue a direction to the Union Cabinet Secretary to restrain Indian delegation from participating in the meet.
This is the second time a petition related to India's participation in the CHOGM has been filed in the High Court.
The principal bench of the High Court (in Chennai) had on October 29 dismissed a petition seeking a direction to the External Affairs Ministry to take a decision on the plea that India boycott the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, saying the matter pertained to foreign policy of the government.
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