Taking note of the Central government’s submission that there was no recommendation or proposal made by the State government to rename Madurai airport, the Madurai Bench of the Madras dismissed a petition that sought a direction to restrain the authorities concerned from renaming the airport after any local personalities except Lord Devendran or Goddess Meenakshi.

The court was hearing the petition filed by C. Selvakumar of Madurai, president of Tamil Nadu Devendra Kula Vellalar Right Redemption Movement. He said steps were being taken to rename Madurai airport after Muthuramalinga Thevar, and if it was done it would lead to law and order problems. Therefore, the authorities concerned should be restrained from doing so, he said.

A Division Bench of Justices M. Duraiswamy and K. Murali Shankar took cognisance of the Centre’s submission that it had not received any such proposal from the State government. The court observed that the petition was speculative in nature and it was filed without any basis, and dismissed it.