The Supreme Court on Monday granted an urgent hearing against a Madras high court order restraining the Tamil Nadu government from naming any government welfare schemes after any former chief ministers or ideological leaders and further disallowed depiction of party symbol to accompany such announcements.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai agreed to hear the state’s appeal on Wednesday after an urgent mentioning was made by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for the state.
Rohatgi said, “This is a very unusual order of the Madras high court that requires urgent hearing,” pointing to the July 31 interim order passed while hearing a public interest litigation filed by member of parliament (MP) C V Shanmugam of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
The HC in its order said, “We are inclined to pass an interim order to the effect that while launching and operating government welfare schemes through various advertisements, the name of any living personality, photograph of any former Chief Minister/ideological leaders or party insignia/emblem/flag of respondent No.4 shall not be included.”
As the court wished to know about the details of the order, Rohatgi said: “According to the HC order, no scheme of government can have the name of the chief minister or any political figure. The order was passed on Thursday and we are in the process of filing an appeal. It requires urgent hearing as the high court has restrained us based on a wrong reading of judgments of this court.”
{{/usCountry}}As the court wished to know about the details of the order, Rohatgi said: “According to the HC order, no scheme of government can have the name of the chief minister or any political figure. The order was passed on Thursday and we are in the process of filing an appeal. It requires urgent hearing as the high court has restrained us based on a wrong reading of judgments of this court.”
{{/usCountry}}“We will have it on Friday,” CJI Gavai said, after Rohatgi pointed out that the scheme is intended for the benefit of the poor.
Shanmugam in his petition before the high court challenged a June 19 order of the state government for implementing a public outreach programme having the name of chief minister MK Stalin.
The scheme “Ungaludan Stalin” was intended at taking the government’s benefits and services to the doorstep of beneficiaries by organising nearly 10,000 camps at a proposed budget of ₹54.95 crore.
The HC order referred to Supreme Court decisions of 2014 and 2015 in Common Cause v Union of India which laid down guidelines to regulate governments from issuing advertisements to glorify their parties using state funds.
Citing these judgments, the HC said, “The use of photographs of ideological leaders or former Chief Minister, prima facie, would be against the directives of the Supreme Court.” It noted a 2016 judgment of the top court which clarified that under certain exceptions, publication of the photograph of the incumbent CM is permissible.
As the SC had formed a central committee on content regulation in government advertising, the PIL in the high court had sought a direction to this committee along with the Election Commission of India to take action against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the ruling party in the state under paragraph 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.