Madras High Court Prohibits Political Figures in Welfare Ads
In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court has barred the Tamil Nadu government from featuring living political figures in advertisements for welfare schemes. This decision aims to maintain political neutrality in government promotions and prevent the politicization of welfare programs. The court's interim order responds to a petition challenging the political branding of these schemes, particularly targeting the use of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's name. The ruling underscores the importance of adhering to Supreme Court directives and Election Commission guidelines to ensure fairness in public welfare initiatives. Read on to discover the implications of this ruling and its impact on future government advertisements.
| Aug 1, 2025, 16:14 IST
Court Issues Interim Order Against Political Branding in Welfare Advertisements
The Madras High Court has issued an interim directive preventing the Tamil Nadu government from including any living political figures, former chief ministers, ideological leaders, or party symbols in advertisements related to welfare schemes. The interim order was passed by the bench comprising Chief Justice M.M. Shreevastava and Justice Sundar Mohan on Thursday, in response to a petition filed by AIADMK MP C.V. Shanmugam and advocate Iniyan. The petition challenged the political branding of welfare schemes and sought to ensure political neutrality in government promotions.
The court stated that it is inclined to issue an interim order to ensure that no living personality's name, image of any former chief minister or ideological leader, or the party symbol of the fourth respondent is included in advertisements promoting government welfare schemes. Shanmugam's petition specifically requested the court to prevent the state from naming any welfare scheme after a living individual, particularly targeting the use of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's name in schemes initiated under G.O. (MS) No. 390 dated June 19, 2025. The petitioner also urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the committee regulating content in government advertisements to take action under Paragraph 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
While issuing the interim order, the court clarified that it is not halting the initiation, implementation, or operation of any welfare scheme. However, it acknowledged that naming schemes after living political figures or using party symbols, flags, or insignias violates established Supreme Court directives and ECI guidelines. The bench noted that although the Supreme Court allowed the use of a current chief minister's image in advertisements in the Karnataka vs. Common Cause case, it did not extend this freedom to former leaders or ideological figures. It emphasized that including such names or images could politicize welfare programs and compromise their impartiality.