Tamil Nadu govt. urges Madras HC to exempt ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ and ‘Nalam Kaakum Stalin’ schemes from prohibitory order

The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Madras High Court urging it to clarify that its interim order prohibiting the use of the name of any living personality in the nomenclature of government schemes would not be applicable to ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ and ‘Nalam Kaakum Stalin’ schemes.

Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan on Thursday (August 3, 2025) accepted a request made by Advocate General P.S. Raman for an early hearing of the modification petition since the Nalam Kaakum Stalin scheme was all set to be launched across the State on Saturday (August 2, 2025).

The judges said, the petition, if filed by Friday, would be taken up for hearing on Monday (August 4, 2025). Within a couple of hours, a modification plea was filed by the State government in the High Court Registry along with a detailed affidavit sworn by Public department secretary Reeta Harish Thakkar.

The affidavit said the public outreach programme titled ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ had been in operation for quite sometime now and even the public interest litigation petitioner C.Ve. Shanmugam, in whose case the interim order was passed, had not sought any ex-parte interim order against that scheme.

Similarly, a Government Order for the Nalam Kaakum Stalin scheme, aimed at taking healthcare to the doorsteps of the beneficiaries, was issued on June 3, 2025 itself, the Public Secretary said, and contended that only the launch was scheduled to be held on August 2, 2025 by conducting health camps in all districts.

Further, stating that the pamphlets, brochures, application forms and other related documents for the scheme had already been printed, Ms. Thakkar said, enormous efforts taken to launch the scheme on Saturday would go waste if the prohibitory interim order was made applicable to it.

“The scheme has been introduced in the name honourable Chief Minister who is a constitutional authority and it cannot be construed to have been introduced in the name of a political personality. Usage of photos of former Chief Ministers is also not expressly prohibited by the Supreme Court,” her affidavit read.

Stating that the government was prepared to contest the main PIL petition by filing a detailed counter affidavit, the secretary said: “The present petition is being filed for the limited purpose of seeking clarification so that the order may not be applicable to the Nalam Kaakum Stalin scheme that is being launched tomorrow.”