The Madras High Court Monday dismissed a plea seeking action against the principal of Loyola College here for allegedly allowing display of some paintings on Bharat Mata in an inappropriate manner.

Dismissing the plea, a division bench of Justices S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad said the petitioner has alternative remedy under the Criminal Procedure Code to proceed with.

The court said the petitioner has not submitted a representation to the Commissioner of Police, who was arraigned as a respondent in the petition.

He had instead made a representation to the Director General of Police, who has not been arraigned as respondent in the petition, it said.

According to the petitioner, Vedha of Madippanur in Madurai District, some paintings were exhibited at Loyola College on January 19-20. The exhibition was open to the public. He alleged that some of the paintings degrading Hindu deities were also displayed at the exhibition.

Earlier, following complaints by the BJP and some Hindu outfits to the police against the exhibition, the college said it respected all religions.

"We do not advocate or support anything that is tantamount to disturbing the peace and tranquillity of the society," the college, an autonomous Catholic minority institution, said in a statement.

Issuing the apology, the college had said the offensive paintings, put up as part of a cultural event, were "immediately" removed.