Madras HC Bars Use Of All Former CM's Photos In Govt Scheme Ads

The Madras High Court has ruled that government advertisements for new or ongoing schemes must not feature the names or photographs of former Chief Ministers or political leaders, reaffirming guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.

The directive was issued in response to a petition filed by AIADMK MP CV Shanmugam, who sought a ban on the use of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s image in advertisements for the Tamil Nadu government’s “Ungaludan Stalin” (“With You, Stalin”) outreach initiative. The petitioner also urged the court to prohibit the use of the current Chief Minister’s name in promotional material.

A bench comprising Chief Justice MM Srivastava and Justice Sundar Mohan ruled that, while the photograph of the sitting Chief Minister may be permitted in advertisements—as clarified in a prior Supreme Court judgment—the inclusion of images or references to party ideologues and former Chief Ministers violates established legal norms.

The Madras High Court has ruled that the names of political leaders or photographs of former Chief Ministers must not be used in advertisements related to newly launched or ongoing government schemes.

This directive came in response to a petition filed by AIADMK MP C.V.…

— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2025

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However, the bench clarified that there is no restriction on the state launching or implementing welfare programmes. The directive only pertains to the publicity content used to promote such schemes. The court also noted that its ruling would not interfere with the Election Commission’s ongoing inquiry into the AIADMK’s complaint regarding the branding of the “Ungaludan Stalin” programme.

The case has been posted for the next hearing on August 13.

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