The Madras High Court on Thursday allowed the Tamil Nadu and Central Governments to erect banners to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping for their informal meet here next week.
The court said it has no objection to installation of banners to welcome the two dignitaries.
The court had earlier banned erection of hoardings on roadsides and recently pulled up the government for not effectively implementing its order following the death of a woman techie.
A division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and N Seshasayee, however, made it clear that the state has to follow all existing rules in connection with installation of such banners.
The bench also said no political parties will be allowed to install such banners.
The State Government had on Tuesday sought the court's permission to erect banners welcoming Modi and Xi Jinping, who are slated to meet at Mamallapuram, about 50 km from here, for their second informal meet from October 11-13.
The petition filed by commissioner of municipal administration said authorities were not giving permission for putting up such structures throughout the state.
The petitioner had said Modi and Jinping would be holding bilateral talks in the tourist town.
The petitioner said it was customary for the Ministry of External Affairs to welcome a visiting dignitary by way of banners.
Stating that the state and the central governments proposed to put up the banners at designated places to welcome the top dignitaries, the petitioner asked the court to pass suitable orders on the proposal.
Reacting to the government's move, Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan had on Wednesday faulted it for seeking the court's approval to erect banners to welcome Modi and Xi Jinping.
The actor-politician appealed to Modi to “act as a pioneer” and put an end to the “banner culture.”