Madras HC Upholds Order Prohibiting OPS From Using AIADMK Flag, Symbol

The previous order by Madras HC prohibited OPS from utilising the AIADMK symbol, flag, and letterhead.

Justices R Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq denied OPS's appeal, finding that there were no grounds to interfere with the single judge's November 2023 order.

The Madras High Court (MHC) dismissed O Panneerselvam's (OPS) appeal challenging the interim injunction issued by a single judge on Wednesday. The previous order by Madras HC prohibited OPS from utilising AIADMK symbol, flag, and letterhead.

According to ANI, Justices R Mahadevan & Mohammed Shaffiq of Madras High Court dismissed an appeal by O Panneerselvam against a single judge bench order restraining him from using the AIADMK flag, symbol & letterhead.

The bench denied OPS's appeal by noting that there were no grounds to interfere with the single judge's November 2023 order.

 

Justices R Mahadevan & Mohammed Shaffiq of Madras High Court dismiss an appeal by O Panneerselvam against a single judge bench order restraining him from using the AIADMK flag, symbol & letterhead.

(File photo) pic.twitter.com/uSwukSYSd8

— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2024

On November 7 last year, Opposition leader and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami petitioned Madras High Court for a permanent injunction prohibiting OPS from using the AIADMK's symbol, flag, and official letterhead. 

Following this, Justice N Sathish Kumar granted an interim injunction prohibiting OPS from using the AIADMK party's symbol or flag until November 30.

The bench said, "we refrain from dealing with the merits or otherwise of the contentions raised on the side of the appellant (OPS) as well as the respondent (Palaniswami). By the order dated November 7, 2023, which is impugned in these writ appeals, interim injunction was granted by the judge till November 30, 2023."

"In the ordinary course, the said applications would have been listed again on November 30,2023 for further consideration. If the appellant is in any manner aggrieved by the interim order, it is very well open to him to file application(s) to vacate the same, and without doing so, the present appeals have been filed before this Court invoking Clause 15 of the Letters Patent," it said.