The Taj Mahal

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">What comes first? Monuments or people’s jobs? In this episode of <em>The Longest Constitution</em>, we take a look at yet another MC Mehta petition (there were several!) and how the PIL went from being a tool for the poor to an unaccountable weapon wielded by the Supreme Court. We also look at a case where a serial killer petitioned for his right to privacy and consent when it came to his autobiography being published. The case raised the question of whether a ‘public figure’ can file for defamation? And lastly, we look into electoral bonds and their unconstitutional nature, more deeply. </p><p><strong>On electoral bonds: </strong></p><ol><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted"><p><u><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/electoral-bonds-rti-arun-jaitley-law-ministry_in_5e2eccb1c5b6d6767fd8733f?utm_hp_ref=in-electoral-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/electoral-bonds-rti-arun-jaitley-law-ministry_in_5e2eccb1c5b6d6767fd8733f?utm_hp_ref=in-electoral-bonds</a></u></p></li><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted"><p>Sondhi, Aditya, “Elections”, in Choudhry, Sujit (et al), <a href="https://oxcon.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780198704898.001.0001/law-9780198704898" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">T</a><em><a href="https://oxcon.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780198704898.001.0001/law-9780198704898" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution</a></em>, OUP: New Delhi. </p></li></ol><p><strong>On the Taj Mahal and environmental litigation: </strong></p><ol><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted"><p>Divan, Shyam and Armin Rosencraz, (ed) (2001), <em>Environmental law and policy in India, </em>New Delhi: OUP. Chapter 13. </p></li></ol><p><strong>On Auto Shankar and defamation: </strong></p><ol><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted"><p><u><a href="https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/r-rajagopal-v-state-of-t-n/" target