Stalin flays Vijayover Mekedatu issue
Chennai: Madras high court has directed the former chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin and the DMK IT Wing to respond by Sept 15 to a defamation case filed by public works minister Aadhav Arjuna over a social media post linking his relative in a drug trafficking case.
Earlier reporting noted: Madras HC issues notice to MK Stalin, DMK IT Wing over ₹1cr defamation suit The Madras High Court on Friday issued notices to former Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin and the party’s IT Wing on a ₹ 1 crore civil defamation suit filed by state minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Aadhav Arjuna over an X post allegedly linking him to a narcotics case accused. Because of the similarity in their names, his relative, P John Britto, had in fact approached the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police and complained that he was being wrongly identified with the John Britto arrested in the narcotics case.
DMK had deliberately used the similarity in the names of the accused, P John Britto, and the minister’s relative, with a political motive to spread defamatory allegations against him, said Aadhav. Earlier reporting noted: According to Arjuna’s suit, the John Britto referred to in the narcotics case was not his relative. In his petition, the minister also sought the court to direct Stalin and DMK to publish an apology in leading Tamil and English newspapers, and television channels for disseminating the ‘defamatory’ report. He further sought a permanent injunction restraining Stalin and the DMK IT Wing from publishing or disseminating similar ‘defamatory’ content in the future, contending that the post had been made under the direction of the party president. He submitted that there was no connection whatsoever between John Britto, the accused in the drug trafficking case, and the minister.
Earlier reporting noted: Arjuna has alleged that the post was not an isolated statement by a social media functionary of the DMK, but was published on the instructions of Stalin, whom he described as exercising complete control over the affairs of the party.