Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha, today challenged the permission accorded to Tamil Film Producers Association (TFPA) by the state authorities to organise a function at the Nehru stadium here on September 27 to felicitate the Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in connection with his 70th birthday.

In a writ petition filed by her in the Madras High Court, she contended that the decision to grant permission was highly deplorable as it was not consistent with the purpose for which the stadium was constructed. There was every likelihood of `derecognition' of the stadium by international sports bodies, the former chief minister said.

Stating that she was filing the public interest litigation keeping in mind development of sports in the country in general and Tamil Nadu inparticular, Jayalalitha said sports development could never be achieved if such kind of functions were permitted to be held at the stadium.

The film city had adequate facilities for such functions, she pointed out.

Jayalalitha said if the function was held at the stadium, it would be rendered unfit to hold international or national sports events in future.

The former chief minister claimed she had not filed the petition to gain cheap popularity or wreck personal political vendetta or prevent felicitation of Karunanidhi.

Jayalalitha said during her tenure as chief minister her government had spent nearly Rs 40 crore for creating all infrastructure and providing facilities including laying of a synthetic athletic track at a cost of Rs two crore.

Now, she said, permission had been granted by the Sports Development Authority (SDA) of Tamil Nadu to the TFPA to construct arches and the stadium was to be handed over to the TFPA on September 25 for the purpose of decorating it. This would involve diggingand erection of poles and total invasion of the valuable synthetic track.

The SDA which was required to promote only sports seemed to be promoting the personal interest of the Tamil Nadu chief Minister and film personalities, Jayalalitha alleged.

She prayed for a direction to quash the August 28 last order granting permission to conduct the programme pending disposal of her petition.