TN: AIADMK MP files contempt petition against two officers for violating court orders to launch health scheme

Chennai, Aug 4 AIADMK MP C. Ve. Shanmugam has filed a contempt of court petition against Tamil Nadu Public Department Secretary Reeta Harish Thakkar and Health Secretary P. Senthil Kumar for allegedly violating a court order by launching a health scheme titled ‘Nalam Kaakkum Stalin’ on August 2, 2025.

The petition, which is expected to be heard by the first Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan, accuses the two top officials of contempt for proceeding with the launch despite an interim prohibitory order issued by the court on July 31. And the order had explicitly barred the use of the names of living individuals in government schemes.

In an affidavit filed through his counsel K. Gowtham Kumar, the AIADMK MP pointed out that the interim ruling was categorical in directing that no government scheme should bear the name of a living person.

However, the ‘Nalam Kaakkum Stalin’ scheme was launched just two days later, in what he described as a blatant violation of the court’s directive.

According to the affidavit, soon after the court passed its interim order on August 1, the Public Department Secretary filed a petition seeking clarification that the directive should not apply to ongoing schemes such as ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ and ‘Nalam Kaakkum Stalin’.

However, the clarification petition was neither listed for hearing nor was any modification or exemption granted by the court before the scheme’s official launch. The MP argued that the very act of filing the clarification petition indicates the officials were fully aware of the interim restrictions.

“In effect, the respondents have reduced the modification petition to a mere formality and an eyewash to escape the clutches of contempt,” the affidavit said.

It further accused the officials of using the pending petition as a shield to justify their actions, despite no court clearance being given. Shanmugam claimed that the state government’s decision to proceed with the naming of the scheme undermines the authority of the judiciary and constitutes wilful disobedience.

“They cannot be allowed to blow hot and cold with the same breath,” he stated. The court is expected to take up the contempt plea in the coming days.

--IANS

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