Holding that ‘divinity’ is not an overtly religious term and there cannot be a bar on using it in the name of a political party, the Madras High Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to register a party, named Desiya Deiveega Murpokku Kazhagam (DDMK), meaning ‘national divine progressive body.’
Justice Anita Sumanth allowed a writ petition, pending in the court for the last seven years, and set aside an order passed by the ECI on May 13, 2016, refusing to register the party on the grounds that its name contained a word with a religious connotation. The judge directed the ECI to accept the name within four weeks.
Though the term ‘Deiveega’ could also mean ‘Godliness’, the judge said the exact intended meaning of the term in the name of a political party must be construed in the context of the words that precede and succeed it. In the present case, the words ‘national’ and ‘progressive’ too had been used by the petitioner party.
