Madras HC dismisses plea to restrain DMK govt from addressing Centre as ‘Ondriya Arasu’
Chennai, July 1 : The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court Today dismissed a petition seeking to
restrain the Tamil Nadu government from addressing the Centre as ‘Ondriya Arasu) (Union Government) instead of ‘Madhiya Arasu (Central Government).
A Division Bench of Justice T S Sivagnanam and S Ananthi said in their considered view, the prayer was thoroughly misconceived and no direct could be issued directing the Chief Minister or the Council of Minister to speak in a particular fashion.
The petitioner T Ramasamy of Palani in Dindigul district sought a direction to restrain the State government from using ‘Union’ while referring to India/Bharat in communications.
The Court also dismissed a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to educate the people of Tamil Nadu to respect ‘our’ country India/Bharat by calling its name as it is in the Official writings and speeches by adhering to patriotism, sovereignty and respect.
The judges observed that the petition was absolutely vague as to what sort of education the petitioner wants to be given to the people of Tamil Nadu and dismissed it.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister M K Stalin justified the usage of world ‘Ondriya Arasu’ in addressing the Government of India and said the DMK government would continue to do so as there was nothing wrong in it.
Replying to Nainar Nagendran, of BJP, who raised the issue of DMK using the term Union Government instead of calling it as Central government, Mr Stalin had said that some people were thinking that the usage of the term Union Government as a social crime.
”It is wrong to think like that as we are only telling what is prescribed in law”, he added.
Pointing out that the first line of Indian Constitution contained the word ‘India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States’, the Chief Minister said ”we are only using the same and not anything which is not in law”.
The term Union Government is not wrong as it meant that it contains all the States.
”That is why, we are using it, we will use it and will continue to use it”, he had said.(UNI)
