Madras High Court Bars Use of Politicians’ Names and Party Symbols in Govt Welfare Scheme Ads

The Madras High Court has issued an interim order prohibiting the use of names of living political figures, photographs of former Chief Ministers and ideological leaders, and party emblems or flags in advertisements for government welfare schemes.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan passed this directive while hearing a petition filed by AIADMK MP C Ve Shanmugam. The petitioner had sought to restrain the Tamil Nadu government from associating welfare schemes with names or images of current political leaders or party symbols.

Arguments Presented

The petitioner’s counsel contended that a new welfare initiative was being publicised using the name of the current Chief Minister, alongside images of ideological leaders and ruling party symbols—actions allegedly in violation of the Supreme Court’s directions and the 2014 Government Advertisement (Content Regulation) Guidelines.

On the other hand, the counsel representing the state government termed the petition politically motivated. He argued that the materials submitted were not from official sources and requested additional time to file a detailed affidavit with verified documents.

Court’s Observations

The High Court, in its observations, referred to the Supreme Court’s decision in State of Karnataka vs Common Cause & Others, stating that:

• Using the names of political personalities—especially living individuals—in the title of government schemes is prima facie inappropriate.
  
• Publishing photographs of ideological leaders or former Chief Ministers in government scheme ads is not permissible.
  
• Displaying political party logos, emblems, or flags in such advertisements goes against the spirit of neutrality outlined by both the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India.
  

However, the Bench clarified that the photograph of the serving Chief Minister may be used, as allowed under the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Further Proceedings

The Court added that the pending petition does not prevent the Election Commission of India from acting on any complaints lodged by the petitioner. The matter has been scheduled for the next hearing on August 13, 2025.