Do Constitutional Authorities Have A Dress Code? Madras High Court Asks State To Respond To Plea Against Deputy CM Udayanidhi Stalin

When the matter was taken up on Tuesday, the bench of Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice PB Balaji asked the AG to find out if there were any dress code prescribed for constitutional authorities in the state of Tamil Nadu. The court then adjourned the case by a week.

The notice has been issued on a plea filed by Advocate Sathya Kumar. In his plea Kumar says that Udayanidhi Stalin, who is the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development in the State and who has been recently appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of the State, is seen wearing a casual T-Shirt in all Government programmes, in the ministerial office and in Deputy Chief Minister's Cabin "as against the dress code prescribed in the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Office Manual".

He added that as per G.O (Ms) No. 67 of 2019 dated 1st June, 2019 issued by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, all government servants are required to wear neat, clean and formal attire that is appropriate to workplace setting so as to maintain the decorum of the office. As per the GO, male employees are to wear shirts with formal pants or veshti (dhoti) reflecting Tamil culture or any Indian traditional dress.

He also stated that Udayanidhi's T-shirts often carried the symbol of his party- DMK and as a public servant he was prohibited from displaying a particular political party symbol in government meetings. It was added that by flaunting, parading and brandishing his party symbol, Udayanidhi is indirectly soliciting the general public who are the potential voters in the upcoming elections.

Though the court initially asked the petitioner if the GO would be applicable in the present case, the bench decided to admit the case and asked the AG to respond. 

Case Title: Dr M Sathya Kumar v Government of Tamil Nadu and Another

Case No: WP 32146 of 2024