Kerala High Court on Tuesday served notice on the Union ministry of health and family welfare after formally admitting a petition from a senior citizen who had sought removal of the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his Covid vaccine certificate.

Justice N. Nagaresh has directed the Union health ministry and the Kerala government to file their arguments, the petitioner’s counsel, Ajit Joy, told The Telegraph.

The petitioner, RTI activist Peter Myaliparambil from Kottayam district, had in early October moved the court on the ground that the presence of the Prime Minister’s picture on his vaccine certificate was violative of his fundamental rights since it was a personal health document.

“This (issuance of notice) means the court has found sufficient material to admit the petition. It will come up for arguments once the Union and state governments file their responses,” Joy said.

The petitioner had contended that the certificate containing personal data was his private document and hence the “State has no right to access that space, any more than the petitioner consents to it”.

Myaliparambil had explained that he had to pay Rs 750 for a shot of Covishield vaccine at a private hospital since he could not get any slot for a free jab.

The petitioner had stated that the Covid vaccination certificate was being used as a propaganda tool.

“The petitioner has a right to be left alone. The petitioner has a right not to be subject to messaging that to the petitioner appears no more than propaganda and publicity for an individual,” Myaliparambil’s petition had stated.

He had submitted copies of vaccination certificates from France, Germany, the US, Indonesia, Israel and Kuwait to show that none of them carried pictures of their respective heads of state or government.