SC setting aside Madras HC order prohibiting use of CM’s name, setback to AIADMK: DMK

Chennai, Aug 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court verdict setting aside the Madras High Court order prohibiting the use of Chief Minister M K Stain’s name in a public outreach programme was a setback to the opposition AIADMK, DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi claimed on Wednesday.

The verdict "dealt a crushing blow" to the AIADMK, which wanted to prevent the implementation of the 'Ungaludan Stalin' (Stalin with you) programme, he said.

About 25 projects were named after Amma (late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa) during the AIADMK regime, including the Amma canteen, but the DMK did not approach the court to stall those schemes, he said.

"The Amma Canteen continues to function without changing its name during the DMK regime. There are projects named after leaders like Anna, Periyar, Ambedkar, Kalaignar, MGR, and J Jayalalithaa. The Supreme Court has dealt a crushing blow to the AIADMK, which wanted to prevent this initiative," Bharathi told reporters here.

In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, the party claimed that the chief minister was implementing the Ungaludan Stalin to ensure government services reached people at their doorsteps.

The Supreme Court set aside the Madras High Court’s interim order prohibiting the use of the Chief Minister’s name and image in the Ungaludan Stalin scheme and dismissed the plea filed by AIADMK MP C V Shanmugam, calling it an abuse of legal process. The apex court imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Shanmugam. PTI JSP KH