In a significant win for Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed a Madras High Court order that barred the state government from using Chief Minister M K Stalin’s name and images in its welfare schemes, such as the Ungaludan Stalin (With You, Stalin) outreach program. The top court slammed the plea by AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam as “totally misconceived in law” and an “abuse of process,” imposing a hefty ₹10 lakh fine on him, to be paid to the state within a week, with non-compliance risking contempt proceedings.
A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, alongside Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria, transferred Shanmugam’s public interest litigation (PIL) from the Madras High Court, dismissing it outright. The court criticized the selective targeting of DMK’s schemes, noting that naming welfare programs after political leaders is a widespread practice across India. “Schemes have been floated in the names of various political leaders in various states. We do not wish to name them to avoid embarrassment, as all parties do this,” the bench remarked, urging that “political battles should be settled before the electorates, not in courts.”
The controversy stemmed from the Madras High Court’s July 31 order, which restrained the Tamil Nadu government from naming new or rebranded welfare schemes after living persons or using portraits of former chief ministers, ideological leaders, or DMK insignia in promotional materials. The ruling came in response to Shanmugam’s PIL, which challenged the Ungaludan Stalin program—a flagship DMK initiative launched in 2024 to engage citizens directly on welfare delivery—as a violation of electoral norms and misuse of public funds. The high court, led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan, clarified that the order did not halt scheme implementation but restricted only their nomenclature and branding.
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During the Supreme Court hearing, senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Abhishek Singhvi, representing the DMK and Tamil Nadu government, highlighted the hypocrisy in Shanmugam’s plea. They pointed to the AIADMK’s own history of branding schemes like Amma Unavagam (canteens) and Amma Kudineer (water supply) after former CM J Jayalalithaa during its 2011-2016 tenure. “If the petitioner was truly concerned about misuse of public funds, he would have challenged all such schemes, not just DMK’s,” the bench observed, questioning Shanmugam’s motives.
The court also scrutinized Shanmugam’s rushed approach. On July 18, he filed a representation with the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking suspension of DMK’s recognition over the scheme. Without awaiting the ECI’s response, he approached the Madras High Court on July 21, prompting the bench to question the plea’s tenability, especially since no model code of conduct was in force in Tamil Nadu. Citing precedents, Rohatgi noted that courts have permitted the use of incumbent leaders’ images, including Prime Ministers and Governors, in welfare scheme promotions, reinforcing the legality of DMK’s campaign.
The ruling bolsters DMK’s position ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, where Ungaludan Stalin—which has reached over 10 lakh citizens through town halls and grievance redressal camps—has been a key voter outreach tool. Political analysts see the verdict as a setback for AIADMK’s strategy to curb DMK’s branding, especially after its loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s welfare schemes, including the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (₹1,000 monthly aid for women) and Pudhumai Penn (education support for girls), continue to leverage Stalin’s image for visibility.
The Supreme Court’s decision underscores the judiciary’s reluctance to interfere in political branding unless clear legal violations are proven. As Tamil Nadu’s political landscape heats up, the verdict ensures DMK can continue its high-visibility welfare campaigns unimpeded, while the ₹10 lakh fine serves as a warning against frivolous litigation.
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