SC Slams Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in Defamation Case, Says Public Figures Must Face Criticism
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa while hearing a plea filed by actor and DMDK leader Vijayakanth against summons issued by a Tamil Nadu trial court. In its observations, the top court said that “public figures (like Jayalalithaa) must face criticism..cannot use defamation to throttle democracy.”
The court was referring to defamation cases filed by the Tamil Nadu government against Vijayakanth, DMK treasurer MK Stalin and even editors of Tamil dailies for issuing statements against AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa for “mishandling the Chennai floods situation” this year and not fulfilling the party's poll promises.
In light of several such defamation cases filed by the Tamil Nadu government against individuals, the Justice Dipak Mishra-led bench observed that “no other state misuses the state machinery like theTamil Nadu government. Defamation cases can't be slapped for merely reporting on chief minister's health condition (referring to another defamation case).”
The Tamil Nadu government has provided a list of over 200 defamation cases filed by the state against individuals over the last five years. The affidavit highlights that defamation cases were filed for statements made on the Chief Minister's vacation spree, criticism of her government for water scarcity and non-fulfillment of poll promises. Fifty-five of these defamation cases have been filed against media houses for reporting and issuing such statements in their publications.
The court will hear the Tamil Nadu government's stance on September 22.
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