Madras HC restricts expelled AIADMK leader O Paneerselvam from using party's letterhead, symbol

Justice N Sathishkumar passed the order on a suit and applications filed by Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Published on: Mar 18, 2024, 16:57:36 IST

By HT News Desk

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In yet another legal victory for All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary E Palaniswami, the Madras High Court on Monday restricted expelled AIADMK leader O Paneerselvam from using the party's official letterhead, flag and symbol, ‘two leaves’. Justice N Sathishkumar passed the order on a suit and applications filed by Edappadi K Palaniswami.

A division bench comprising Justices R Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq dismissed the three appeals filed by OPS on January 11, 2024. The bench, however, also granted liberty to the expelled leader to approach the single judge by filing necessary applications seeking to vacate the order passed against him. On filing such an application, the judge shall consider and pass appropriate orders, the bench added.

Accordingly, Paneerselvam approached the single judge. After hearing the arguments from both sides, Justice Sathishkumar allowed the applications arising out of the suit filed by Palaniswami and passed the present order.

READ | ‘His desire to disable AIADMK symbol…': Palaniswami slams OPS

Earlier in January this year, the Supreme Court of India had declined to stay the expulsion of former Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam (popularly known as OPS) and three others from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK). O Panneerselvam was expelled by a general council of the AIADMK in July 2022 following a power tussle between the top two leaders.

“How can we stay the resolution at an interim stage? It will virtually allow the suit. Even a prima facie case won’t be enough to grant you an injunction... It will lead to a huge chaos,” remarked a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, dismissing the plea moved separately by the leaders.

The bench observed that the dispute will have to work itself out in a trial by leading evidence. Staying the resolution of expulsion will spark different problems, it added.

With inputs from PTI

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