DMK welcomes move to rename HC, criticises BJP over people's welfare

CHENNAI: DMK chief M Karunanidhi today welcomed the Centre for approving a proposal to rename Madras High Court to correspond to the present name of the city, but also took a swipe at the BJP government alleging it often attempts to take steps "not connected" to people's welfare.

"Although the BJP government at the Centre often attempts to do things not connected to people's welfare, one cannot but laud it for such good initiatives. Therefore, on behalf of the DMK, I welcome the decision to (rename the Madras High Court) as Chennai High Court," he said in a statement.

This was the result of a long-pending demand of the people of the state as well as the advocates, the DMK chief said.

Karunanidhi said that after coming to power in 1967, the DMK-led government under party founder and then Chief Minister C N Annadurai had renamed 'Madras State' as Tamil Nadu and in 1996, the government under him had renamed Madras as Chennai.

He also urged the Centre to declare Tamil as the official language of the High Court, saying various proposals in this regard are pending before the Union Government.

The Union Cabinet yesterday approved a Law Ministry proposal to change the names of Bombay and Madras High Courts through an Act of Parliament to correspond to the present names of the cities Mumbai and Chennai respectively.