Plea in Madras High Court on government dress code violation by Udhayanidhi Stalin

A lawyer has filed a petition in the Madras High Court, seeking a directive for Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin to adhere to the dress code prescribed for government officials while performing his official duties and attending public events.
In his plea, M Sathya Kumar argued that Udhayanidhi has frequently been seen violating the formal dress code for government servants by wearing casual attire, including T-shirts, jeans, and informal footwear, during official events.
The plea further argued that Udhayanidhi often displays the DMK party symbol on his T-shirt at government functions, which, according to the petitioner, breaches constitutional provisions and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Kumar also referenced a 2019 government order concerning the dress code for government employees.
“Government Servants are required to wear neat, clean, formal attire that is appropriate to the workplace setting, so as to maintain the decorum of the office, while in duty, like saree or salwar kameez or churidhar with dupatta in the case of female Government servants and shirts with formal pants or veshti (dhoti) reflecting Tamil culture or any Indian traditional dress, in the case of male Government servants. Casual attire shall be avoided,” the order read.
The petitioner emphasised that, as Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi is obligated to adhere to this dress code as outlined in the government order.
Additionally, the petition argued that a public servant is prohibited from displaying any political party symbol while performing their official duties, claiming that such actions are unconstitutional and illegal.
Recently, former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar also criticised Udhayanidhi for his casual attire, despite holding the office of Deputy Chief Minister.