PM Modi's picture on COVID vaccination certificates cannot be considered as advertisement, says Kerala HC

The petitioner had contended that the certificate was a private space with personal details on record and therefore, it was inappropriate to intrude into the privacy of an individual Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday said the Prime Minister has every right to give a message on COVID-19 vaccination and ruled his photo in the jab certificate cannot be considered as an A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly dismissed an appeal filed against a single judge order junking a plea seeking removal of the Prime Minister’s photo from the COVID-19 vaccination certificates. The bench said the prime minister’s photo cannot be considered as an A Single Bench of the High Court had on 21 December, last year dismissed the earlier petition, filed by Peter Myaliparampil, saying it was “frivolous”, filed with “ulterior motives”, “publicity oriented” and the petitioner probably also had a “political agenda”. It had also said that the “petitioner should study the respect to be given to the prime minister and others by watching at least the parliamentary proceedings, which are available live on national TV”. Myaliparampil, a senior citizen, had contended in his plea that the Prime Minister’s photo on his vaccination certificate was a violation of fundamental rights.