Why are you ashamed of PM? Kerala HC reprimands petitioner over PM's photo

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the vaccination certificates issued by the CoWIN government portal, and has termed the petition as 'frivolous' and a 'waste of time'. A fine of one lakh rupees was also imposed on the petitioner.

"Why are you ashamed of the Prime Minister? He came to power through the mandate of the people...we may have different political views, but he is still our PM," Justice P.V Kunhiraman questioned the petitioner, Peter Myaliparampil, a senior citizen.

Myaliparampil had contended that the photo of the Prime Minister on a vaccination certificate was violation of the right to privacy of an individual, whose private details were on the certificate.

However, the High Court bench lambasted him for wasting the courts time when much more serious issues were pending before the courts. The bench also remarked that making an issue out of a simple photograph and 'morale-boosting message' was not acceptable behaviour from a citizen of this country. The court had previously observed that there was nothing wrong in Covid-19 vaccination certificates carrying the photograph of the Prime Minister when he was elected to power by the people of the country.

For abusing the process of filing a Public Interest Litigation, Peter Myaliparampil has been directed to deposit the cost in favour of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) within six weeks, failing which KeLSA shall recover the amount from his assets by initiating revenue recovery proceedings against him.

Justice Kunhiraman said the cost was being imposed to let people and the society know that frivolous pleas like this which waste judicial time will not be entertained by the court.