2 days ago
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The Madras High Court connected Friday (June 5, 2026) permitted a litigant to retreat her lawsuit seeking a absorption to the Union Home Ministry and the Tamil Nadu authorities to condemn the relegation of the Tamil Thai Vazhthu to the 3rd place, aft the playing of the nationalist opus and the nationalist anthem, during Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s swearing-in ceremonial successful Chennai connected May 10, 2026.
The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan dismissed arsenic withdrawn the nationalist involvement litigation (PIL) petition filed by Ananya Radhakrishnan, 45, of Chennai. They, however, granted her liberty to record a caller lawsuit with amended particulars, if truthful advised.
During the people of the hearing, the judges wondered however they could entertain the PIL petition without determination being immoderate situation to the Union Home Ministry’s January 28, 2026, circular, which insists upon the playing/singing of the nationalist opus Vande Mataram connected the accomplishment of the Governor astatine ceremonial State functions wrong his/her State/Union Territory and besides connected his/her departure from specified functions. The circular besides states that whenever some the nationalist opus and the nationalist anthem had to beryllium played/sung successful State events, the nationalist opus indispensable beryllium sung oregon played first.
The litigant, connected the different hand, had contended determination was nary explicit constitutional, statutory, oregon enforcement prohibition of playing the Tamil Thai Vazhthu, declared arsenic a State opus successful December 2021, archetypal during State authorities events. She said, the relegation of the State opus to the 3rd spot during the Chief Minister’s swearing-in ceremonial had caused heavy anguish and interest among the public.
In her affidavit, Ms. Radhakrishnan said, the Union Home Ministry’s latest circular lone talks astir the inter se bid of the playing/singing of the nationalist opus and the nationalist anthem whereas her grievance was confined lone to the deviation from the long-standing law and ceremonial protocol followed successful Tamil Nadu with respect to the playing of the Tamil Thai Vazhthu.
“The said the circular is wholly soundless with respect to officially recognised State Songs, including Tamil Thai Vazhthu. In the lack of immoderate explicit notation to State songs, the circular cannot beryllium interpreted oregon expanded to mean that a State opus indispensable needfully beryllium rendered lone aft the nationalist opus and the nationalist anthem,” the affidavit read.
She said, for long, authorities events successful Tamil Nadu person ever commenced with the playing/singing of the Tamil Thai Vazhthu and ended with the playing/singing of the nationalist anthem. “Executive circulars affecting long-standing law and ceremonial conventions indispensable beryllium interpreted strictly and cannot beryllium extended by accusation beyond their explicit terms,” the litigant contended.
