On Friday the Supreme Court declined to intervene in a case involving O Panneerselvam (OPS) and his supporters against the AIADMK general council resolution that led to their expulsion from the party. The Madras High Court had earlier rejected the pleas of OPS and his aides, prompting them to seek recourse in the highest court.

The two-judge bench, consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, conveyed their decision to senior advocate K K Venugopal and other counsel representing Panneerselvam and his supporters. The Supreme Court asserted that it was not inclined to interfere with the Madras High Court's order, citing potential chaos and emphasizing the need for the ongoing civil court proceedings to run their course.

The bench expressed its concern that interfering at this stage could exacerbate the existing split within the party. "If we interfere at this juncture, it will create huge chaos. To us, it appears there is a split, and it will work itself out. Sometimes, it's better to let things work themselves out. Sorry, we are not inclined to interfere with the high court order," remarked the bench.

However, while refusing immediate intervention, the Supreme Court directed an expeditious hearing of the pending suits related to the matter. The court also granted liberty to O Panneerselvam and his associates to file an application for the consolidation of all the suits.

O Panneerselvam and his supporters had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court's decision on August 25, 2023. The high court had dismissed their appeals against the March 28, 2023 verdict of a single judge. The legal battle revolves around several contentious issues, including the abolition of the post of coordinator and joint coordinator positions, the revival of the general secretary posts, and the expulsion of OPS and his supporters from the party based on the resolutions passed during the general council meeting on July 11, 2022.