The Madras High Court recently praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' while hearing a case concerning alleged irregularities in the purchase of books for public libraries in Tamil Nadu.

Justice G R Swaminathan, in his part of an order passed by a Division Bench also comprising Justice M D Sumathi, observed that the programme had helped bring the achievements of people living in remote parts of the country to public attention.

The observation was made by Justice Swaminathan as a "lighter remark" in an order passed by the Madurai Bench on November 11.

Referring to 'Mann Ki Baat', the judge observed that the programme had introduced the country to several people whose remarkable contributions might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

He also referred to Thomas Gray's famous poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, which highlights how talented people living in remote areas often remain unrecognised.

Interestingly, the Tamil version of the programme, 'Manathin Kural', also came up during the proceedings.

The order recorded that a member of the expert committee had informed the Court that the Tamil translation of 'Mann Ki Baat' was recommended for purchase but was not selected for public libraries.

The Bench sought an explanation from the Director of Public Libraries on why the book was not purchased. However, the order noted that there was no response.

Case Concerns Alleged Irregularities In Book Purchases

The case arose after Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, who was part of a committee recommending books for the Periyar Science Centre and Library, raised concerns over the collection at Coimbatore's Periyar Arivulagam.

In an article, Murugan pointed out alleged irregularities in the purchase of books, including unusually high prices, factual errors, questionable historical claims and titles attributed to unfamiliar or apparently fictitious authors.

He also questioned the credentials of certain publishers and alleged that some books appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence. He further highlighted that several books were priced much higher than comparable publications.

The allegations led to a political dispute between the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

School Education Minister A Rajmohan blamed the previous DMK government, alleging that the questionable books had been purchased during its tenure.

The DMK, however, questioned the timing of the purchases and accused the TVK government of shifting responsibility. It also approached the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), seeking an investigation.

Following the allegations, the School Education Department referred the matter to the DVAC for an enquiry against unidentified public servants.

During the hearing, the prosecutor informed the Court that an FIR would be registered and placed before the Bench before the next hearing.

The Court was also informed that three bank accounts linked to the matter had been frozen, containing around ₹22 lakh.