The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered notice to the Centre on a case filed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Lok Sabha member S. Ramalingam challenging the constitutional validity of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, on the grounds that it goes against federalism and is beyond the legislative competence of the Centre.
The First Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu heard preliminary arguments advanced by senior counsel P. Wilson for the petitioner and directed Additional Solicitor General R. Sankaranarayanan to make sure that a counter affidavit was filed within three weeks.
In an affidavit filed in support of his petition, the Member of Parliament had said: “The impugned (under challenge) Act is a legislation passed by the Union through brute majority to blatantly usurp the States’ power in broad day light when legislators like myself were helpless to prevent the violence done to the Constitution.”
