Leaders need to visit TN often if state is to become clean: HC

Taking note of the extensive clean-up drive here and nearby Mamallapuram ahead of summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Madras High Court on Thursday orally observed that leaders need to visit Tamil Nadu often so that the state remains spick and span.

A vacation bench comprising Justices S Vaidyanathan and C Saravanan made the observation while hearing a petition seeking a special legislation to give maximum punishment to those who put up illegal banners.

Now Mamallapuram has become very clean. Only when big leaders come, the government takes such steps. If Tamil Nadu has to become neat and clean, such leaders have to visit now and then, the bench said in its oral observations.

The judges were referring to the beautification and cleaning work undertaken on a war-footing in parts of Chennai and at the ancient coastal town of Mamallapuram, about 50 km from here, where Modi and Xi are set to hold talks over the next two days.

Xi, arriving