Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday filed defamation fits towards AIADMK’s Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami (EPS), and state BJP chief Ok Annamalai, for allegedly linking him to a world drug cartel, through which former DMK functionary Jaffar Sadiq, was recently arrested.
The Chennai metropolis prosecutor filed the defamation fits within the Principal Classes Courtroom.
Citing social media posts and movies of EPS and Annamalai, and the defamation swimsuit said the 2 leaders alleged that Stalin was concerned within the distribution of contraband, reminiscent of Pseudoephedrine, by aiding drug peddlers.
“The accused was pushed by political animosity and has maliciously tried to defame the honourable Chief Minister’s popularity by means of the defamatory allegations,” the swimsuit mentioned.
The swimsuit additionally highlighted the varied measures undertaken by MK Stalin and the Tamil Nadu authorities to crack down on the sale, distribution and consumption of medication within the southern state.
“The accountability entrusted upon the honourable CM isn’t merely administrative but additionally ethical, requiring the best requirements of conduct and accountability. Any affiliation with illicit actions, significantly these as detrimental as drug trafficking, betrays the belief positioned in elected representatives and undermine the material of our democracy. The implications of such defamatory statements lengthen far past mere political rivalry,” the defamation swimsuit learn.
It additional said that whereas the Tamil Nadu authorities in addition to MK Stalin are “open to constructive criticism based on factual proof”, the actual allegations pertaining to the hyperlink to the medication racket are “inherently defamatory and solely supposed to tarnish the Chief Minister’s popularity with none real public curiosity”.
Palaniswami took to X on March 9 and shared a number of photos of Jaffar Sadiq with Stalin, whereas additionally calling for the latter’s resignation because the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
The AIADMK chief and the Tamil Nadu Chief of Opposition claimed that Sadiq was the DMK’s district organiser, and smuggled 3,500 kg of uncooked supplies for drug manufacturing for 3 years.
“There have been stories that Jaffar Sadiq has funded the DMK and its associates. Whereas the deputy director formally introduced right now that he has funded political events with drug cash,” Palaniswami tweeted.
He alleged that Jaffar Sadiq, who had been working the drug mafia for 3 years, was not solely arrested however was given occasion recognition within the DMK.
Whereas the police have been below his management in his regime, not solely did Jaffar Sadiq, who had been working the drug mafia for 3 years, not be caught, however the Chief Minister gave him occasion recognition within the DMK.
BJP’s Annamalai, in the meantime, mentioned that regardless of it being a month since Jaffar Sadiq’s arrest, the Stalin-led DMK authorities is but to take an motion towards the previous.
“Do you have got a behavior of studying the every day information, Chief Minister? Makes an attempt to silence our voice, following the defamation case is not going to succeed…We’ll proceed to reveal your evil rule among the many individuals,” the Tamil Nadu BJP chief tweeted.
Tamil movie producer Jaffar Sadiq was arrested by Delhi Police Particular Cell and Narcotics Management Board (NCB) on March 9 for his alleged hyperlink to a Rs 2,000-crore drug trafficking case. Sadiq advised NCB that he gave Rs 7 lakh to DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of MK Stalin, sources advised India Immediately TV.