To
The Chief Minister
Government of Telangana,
Hyderabad
Sub: RECALL FACE MASKS WITH PICTURE OF CHIEF MINISTER OF TELANGANA – CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY CM PICTURE CANNOT BE USED BY ANY PARTY OR PUBLIC
Ref: Tweet by MP Santosh
Dear Chief Minister of Telangana,
May Peace Be Upon You, and Mercy and Blessings of God too.
1. On 5 of April 2020 we had appealed to all Indians not to waste 9 minutes with candles but instead use the 9 mins and more to stitch masks for one and for all. We also appealed to Prime Minister to roll back his call regarding switching off lights and burning other lights and instead call upon people to sport masks.
We based our appeal upon WHO guidelines, the experience of Czech country’s experience, and Principal Scientific Advisor Prof Vijay Raghavan’s official statement to government of India, which was carried by media on 31 march 2020 itself. Detailed guidelines on homemade masks were issued through Science Department by the PSA, yet Prime Minister and yourself the CM of Telangana chose to ignore his scientific statement and indulged in switching off and lighting on gimmicks, even as the country is in peril.
We had highlighted the most important statement and reproduce it below that if 80% of people wear masks when out in public the virus spread can be curtailed successfully.
By this time already, NIRD Rajendranagar, was already having face masks manufactured by SHGs across the Telangana state. Yet, government of Telangana/Chief Minister did not move the state of Telangana into a face-mask mode. Alas, science always seems alien.
2. But instead of appreciating the clarion call of Socialist Party (India) from Telangana soil given for wellbeing of India, you thundered in press conference that anybody speaking against PM would be proceeded against.
3. CM garu, we are one month late in giving the face masks to the public which should have been given free to all the 3.5 crores of the public. Was it difficult at all? You gave gold ornaments to temples, iftar parties to stomach and pocket filled, chadars/money to Ajmer dargah, saris for Batukamma, clothes for Eid/Christmas, but not most essential face-masks to save lives and economy of Telangana. Please get serious in your governance.
We stand vindicated then and now because state after state went on to make face masks mandatory in public with a penalty for no-mask.
4. Now, when we see light of our appeal of 5 April 2020, TRS party seem to have realised the importance of face masks, though not yet fully. TRS party Rajya Sabha MP has tweeted that on TRS party foundation day they would distribute face masks as follows with the picture of CM of Telangana:
5. We object to the picture of Constitutional Authority viz., Chief Minister of Telangana being used by the TRS party.
At a time when we have Supreme Court Orders to refrain from using Constitutional authorities photos such as PM, President, CJI, and CMs, on government advertisements itself, it is sheer arrogance and abuse of democratically attained power to use the picture of Chief Minister just because they are the ruling party of a state.
As such we urge the Chief Minister of Telangana:
- to recall the masks that have his photo being used by the TRS party;
- to clarify to people of Telangana if TRS party had taken his permission before using his picture on face masks;
- to take action against TRS RS MP Shri J Santosh Kumar for brazenly using Chief Minister’s picture in the public domain and further exhorting public to do the same;
6. Below relevant extracts from Supreme Court order on photos in government advertisements:
(2015) 42 SCD 686 – Common Cause Vs. Union of India
22. Publication of the photograph of an individual be a State or party functionary not only has the tendency of associating that particular individual with either the achievement(s) sought to be highlighted or being the architect of the benefits in respect of which information is sought to be percolated. Alternatively, programmes/targets for the future as advertised carry the impression of being associated with the particular individual(s).
Photographs, therefore, have the potential of developing the personality cult and the image of a one or a few individuals which is a direct antithesis of democratic functioning.
29. The gaps, if any, we are confident would be filled up by the executive arm of the government itself inasmuch as the attainment of constitutional goals and values enshrined in Part IV of the Constitution is the conjoint responsibility of the three organs of the State i.e. legislative, executive and the judiciary, as earlier discussed.7- We are copying this also to the Registrars of Hyderabad High Court with high expectations that they take cognizance and save democracy and stop abuse of democratically attained positions.
Our prayer:
- to recall the masks that have his photo being used by the TRS party;
- to clarify to people of Telangana if TRS party had taken his permission before using his picture on face masks;
- to take action against TRS RS MP Shri J Santosh Kumar for brazenly using Chief Minister’s picture in pubic domain and further exhorting public to do the same;
8. CM garu, we trust your immediate response on the matter. At a time when lacs of people are facelessly sacrificing and working for the wellbeing of people through their money, mind and body to save humanity from Covid19 virus, it is disgusting, to say the least, that TRS party display such blatant showbiz of misusing CM’s face.
Our faceless frontliners viz., health workers, sanitation workers, police, essential items handlers, journalists, are bravely running our system, are holding their life in their palms and heart in service of humanity. How did TRS even get the thought of using CM photo on face masks that they say is to be widely distributed?
9. We also appeal to all political parties of Telangana as custodians of democracy and implementors of the constitution of India. Please ponder on the Supreme Court Order extracts of which we placed at item 6 above that calls for ‘the conjoint responsibility of the three organs of the State i.e. legislative, executive and the judiciary.’
We all must live up to the expectations of the most weakest (excuse two superlatives in light of current heart-wrenching scenes that we come across as a fallout of lockdown/Covid19) person of our country/society.
Best,
Dr Lubna Sarwath, Prof Sandeep Pandey, Bobby Ramakanth, Surabhi Agarwal, Gurumoorthy,
