Madras High Court Reserves Verdict on Plea Over Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s Remarks Against M. K. Stalin

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Monday reserved its order on a petition seeking action against Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin during an election campaign.

The plea was moved by V. Pugazhendi, a former AIADMK functionary and founder of Puratchi AIADMK, who called for intervention by the Election Commission of India. He sought a directive to restrain Palaniswami from continuing campaign activities, alleging violations of electoral norms.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan examined the submissions and reserved its decision after preliminary observations on the scope of judicial intervention in political speech.

During the hearing, the bench raised concerns about whether courts can curtail an individual’s right to speech in the context of political campaigning. It also questioned the maintainability of the petition, noting that the petitioner was not directly or personally aggrieved by the alleged remarks.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate R. Thirumoorthy argued that the plea is legally sustainable under electoral law. He contended that candidates and political leaders are bound by provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 as well as the Model Code of Conduct enforced during elections.

The counsel emphasized that political criticism must remain confined to policies, governance, and public performance rather than personal attacks. He submitted that any deviation from these principles undermines the spirit of fair campaigning and electoral integrity.

The court indicated that it would examine the legal questions raised, including the extent of regulatory oversight on campaign speech and the authority of the Election Commission in such matters, before delivering its order.