The Madras Supreme court on Thursday allowed the Tamil Nadu and Central government governments to erect banners to welcome Prime Minister Narendra modi and Chinese President XI Jinping to their informal meeting in Chennai next week.

However, in their interim ruling, the division of judges M Satyanarayannan and N Seshasai made it clear that the Centre and the state must comply with all existing rules in connection with the erection of such banners.

A court has banned accumulations along the road, and it recently pulled up the government for inefficiently enforcing its order following the death of a techie woman.

“This court is a prima facie opinion that in terms of section 278 of the Chennai city municipal Corporation act (CCMC), the Central government or the state government should not seek a license in respect of any place under occupation or under their control or in respect of any property owned by the government to install digital banners, posters,” it said.

Bench, however, said entities that are under obligation to comply with Chennai city municipal act as well as Tamil Nadu city local authorities (permission to erect digital banners and posters) Regulations, 2011.

He also made it clear that there was no need for the state government to file an affidavit or commitment, as the court in December 2018 banned only political parties from installing flexible boards in public places.

The state government on Tuesday requested court permission to erect banners welcoming modi and XI Jinping, who are due to meet in Mamallapuram, about 50km from Chennai, for their second informal meeting from October 11-13.

A petition filed by a municipal administration Commissioner says modi and Jinping will hold bilateral talks in the tourist city.

The Complainant said modi and Jinping would hold bilateral talks in the tourist city.

The applicant said that the Ministry of foreign Affairs usually welcomes visiting dignitaries in the form of banners.

Stating that the state and Central governments had offered to display banners in designated areas to greet senior dignitaries, the applicant asked the court to make appropriate orders on the proposal.

Reacting to the government’s move, Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Wednesday accused Him of seeking court approval to install banners to welcome modi and XI Jinping.

Earlier, the court, considering the application for recognition of illegal savings, reprimanded the state government after the death of 23-year-old Subashri.

Taking a tough stance against illegal hoarding, the court asks: “how Many more litres of blood should the state government paint the roads with.”

Jaygopal, a local functionary of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, was nabbed by police in connection with the case on September 27 and ordered and charged with attempted murder. For two weeks he evaded arrest.

A techie was killed after she fell on the road when an illegal hoarding, put up with by an aIADMK functionary, collapsed on her and she was hit by a truck.

The hoarding was exhibited by Jayagopal at his son’s wedding in a hall near Pallikaranai, without obtaining permission from the Corporation authorities.

In 2017, 32-year-old engineer Raghunath died after crashing into an illegal hoarding in Coimbatore, exhibited at the centenary celebrations of the MGR.