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PIL filed against DMK's logo at Anna Memorial

The marble and granite engravings of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's election symbol, Rising Sun, atop the three entrances to the Anna Memorial (of DMK founder and former Tamil Nadu chief minister C N Annadurai) in Madras on Marina beach has become a subject matter of litigation in Madras high court.

In a public interest litigation, Shahul Hameed, a city resident, submitted that designing and construction of the DMK's election symbol at the memorial was politically motivated.

The late Annadurai was a Dravidian leader and the DMK could not have any exclusive claim over him as he was common to all, he said. A former AIADMK minister C P Pattabiraman had also raised objections on the ground that it was misuse of power and official machinery, he pointed out.

Under a Rs 27.5 million renovation plan for the memorial taken up after Chief Minister M Karunanidhi assumed office, these structures had been put up, he said, and contended that the government had no right to convert the public property and sought the removal of the structures.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice M S Liberhan and Justice E Padmanabhan, before whom the petition came up for admission, adjourned it to November 30.

UNI

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