Pawan Kalyan: The Supreme Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the display of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s photograph in government offices across the state. The petition was filed by A. M. Kondala Rao, a retired railway employee from Vijayawada.
The petitioner argued that the post of Deputy Chief Minister does not carry a separate constitutional status and therefore displaying his photograph in all government offices and secretariats was inappropriate. It was also contended that such actions could amount to misuse of public funds and may indirectly promote political influence using government resources. The petitioner’s counsel referred to earlier Supreme Court observations regarding the use of public money.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Justice Surya Kant, Justice N. V. Anjaria, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the matter. During the hearing, the bench questioned the petitioner about the actual grievance caused by the display of the Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s photograph. The court observed that personal or political disagreements should not be converted into public interest litigations and dismissed the plea.
Pawan Kalyan: Earlier, Kondala Rao had approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court with a similar petition. The High Court had also rejected the PIL, asking where it was legally prohibited to display the Deputy Chief Minister’s photograph in government offices. The court had further advised that PILs should be filed on issues that genuinely serve public interest. Challenging that decision, the petitioner moved the Supreme Court, which has now upheld the dismissal.
With the Supreme Court’s decision, the legal challenge against the display of the Deputy Chief Minister’s photo in government offices has effectively come to an end.
