Tamil Nadu Muslim parties clash over the use of a name

Cadres of the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) clashed over the use of the name ‘Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam’ following a rift between two Muslim leaders of the organizations.

Jawahirulla, the Papanasam MLA and the president of the political party MMK is also a member of the TMMK, another socio-political Muslim non-governmental organization. Hyder Ali, the General Secretary of TMMK was banished from the organization and a resolution against him was passed by the General Committee following differences between the two leaders.

In light of this, the Madras High Court in response to a case filed had imposed an interim ban on Hyder Ali from using the name of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, its flag and symbols.

Meanwhile, Hyder Ali and his supporters tried to register the abbreviation of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) under the Trade Marks Act, 1999.  They even opened a new office adjacent to the TMMK’s headquarters in Mannadi, Chennai and placed a board with the name ‘TMMK’. Following this, Jawahirulla filed a complaint with the police against Hyder Ali and his men to take down the board.

But the police apparently said that the board cannot be removed as the name was already registered. Later, when members of MMK later went to Hyder Ali’s TMMK office in the night to talk it out, an argument broke out between the two parties and turned into a scuffle. Members of the MMK allegedly broke down the newly erected board by Hyder Ali and ransacked his office.

Police rushed to the spot and chased away both the parties to bring the situation under control. Three people, including a constable, were injured in the incident.

Cadres of the TMMK in different part of Tamil Nadu have been organizing demonstrations condemning the MMK and its chief Jawahirulla.

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