The Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed the recent Madras High Court order restraining advertisements for Tamil Nadu government welfare schemes from using the name of any living individual, photographs of former chief inisters and ideological leaders, or display any party insignia.
The top court bench, comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria, pronounced its ruling after a Madras High Court ordered asking the DMK government not to use names and photographs of present and former chief ministers in welfare schemes.
Earlier on July 31, the Madras High Court bench gave verdict against the DMK government, while hearing a plea filed by the AIADMK leader.
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The High Court restrained the Tamil Nadu government from naming any new or rebranded public welfare schemes after living persons. It also barred the use of portraits of former chief ministers, ideological leaders, or any Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) insignia, emblem, or flag in advertisements promoting such schemes.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan passed the order while hearing a PIL filed by Shanmugam.
The AIDMK leader had challenged the naming and promotion of the government’s public outreach programme titled Ungaludan Stalin’ (With You, Stalin), alleging that it violated established norms. While the bench clarified that the order did not prevent the state from launching, implementing, or operating any welfare schemes, it stated the restrictions applied solely to the nomenclature and promotional content associated with such schemes.