Supreme Court Upholds Tamil Nadu's Use of Political Leader Photos in Welfare Schemes

The Supreme Court overturned a Madras High Court order prohibiting using Tamil Nadu's CM M K Stalin's name and photo in state welfare schemes. AIADMK's petition against the 'Ungaludan Stalin' program was deemed unwarranted, with the top court highlighting political motives behind singling out DMK schemes.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has invalidated an earlier directive by the Madras High Court that barred the Tamil Nadu government from featuring the name and photographs of Chief Minister M K Stalin in state-sponsored welfare schemes.

The petition challenging the government's 'Ungaludan Stalin' initiative, led by AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam, was labeled by the Supreme Court as a 'misconceived' legal action. Consequently, the court imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Shanmugam, to be paid to the state.

The bench criticized the politically motivated nature of the plea, stressing the inappropriateness of using judicial processes to wage political battles. The decision cited parallels with past practices, where previous government schemes featured leaders' images, including those launched in the name of 'Amma' during AIADMK rule.

(With inputs from agencies.)