TN govt say its ads did not contain the name of Tamil Maiyam

Chennai, Feb 8 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Government today told theMadras High Court that its advertisements for "ChennaiSangamam", a cultural event held last month and sponsored byit, did not carry the name of Tamil Maiyam, an NGO which isunder CBI scanner.

The court had on January 7 directed that no advertisementissued by the government for popularising ''Chennai Sangamam''should carry the name of Tamil Maiyam, in which Chief MinisterM Karunanidhi''s MP daughter Kanimozhi is a director.

Kanimozhi was also the co-ordinator of the programme, heldfrom January 12-17, to popularise folk arts.

Filing a contempt petition last month before the HighCourt, the petitioner Pugalenthi had submitted that contraryto the court order, all advertisements for Chennai Sangamamcarried the name of Tamil Maiyam.

Appearing for the Tamil Nadu Tourism Secretary, AdvocateGeneral P Wilson in his counter affidavit told a DivisionBench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal andJustice T S Sivagnanam that the "advertisements released byCommissioner of Tourism through Director of Information andPublic Relations did not carry the name of Tamil Maiyam".

"The Artists renumneration was paid directly by Tamil NaduTourism Development Corporation Limited by obtaining necessaryvouchers", he said.

"Further, the advertisements carrying the name of TamilMaiyam were not released by the Commissioner of Tourism�.

The government also stated that invitations for thenaugural function were not printed by the Department ofTourism and was printed by the NGO at their own cost.

In its counter, counsel for the petitioner M Radhakrishnansaid through its website Tamil Maiyam claimed that ChennaiSangamam was not a public festival organised by sateGovernment but a copy righted private event of Tamil Maiyam.

The amount collected by the NGO in the name of ChennaiSangamam either pursuant to demand made on the said website orby way written communication from Tamil Maiyam shouldnecessarily go to the Department of Tourism and Culture. Sincethe NGO has misused the name of Tamil Nadu government and hascollected money from public.

On hearing both sides, the Bench reserved its order.