CHENNAI: Madras High Court will frame the issues on December 17 in the defamation suit filed by DMK against AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, seeking one crore and one thousand rupees in damages from the latter for his social media statements linking the party with Jaffer Sadiq, an alleged kingpin in drug smuggling.
Hearing the suit filed by DMK organisation secretary R S Bharathi, Justice G Jayachandran made the decision after Bharathi’s counsel S Manuraj submitted that Palaniswami had filed the written statements in the case only on Tuesday. Senior counsel Vijay Narayan appeared for Palaniswami.
In his statement, Palaniswami said that Sadiq, former DMK NRI Wing Chennai West deputy organiser, had portrayed himself as an acquaintance of the chief minister and ministers. He said state DGP had shared a dais with Sadiq, but did not explain the nature or extent of the association. The AIADMK leader said he did not make the statements for political gain, but rather based them on public information aimed at highlighting the inactions of the government.
The case is unwarranted, he said, as institutions cannot file defamation suits and that his statements are a rightful exercise of freedom of expression. The plaintiff cannot shield the truth and shy away from their responsibilities by just averring they have removed Sadiq from the party.
Also, Palaniswami said that a grant of permanent injunction would amount to a blanket gag order, restraining him from speaking about the drug menace in the state.