DMK to move SC against Aadhav Arjunaa over Karur remarks

Chennai: DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi on Friday said the party was moving Supreme Court with a contempt petition against PWD minister Aadhav Arjunaa over his remarks on the Karur stampede case.Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Bharathi accused the minister of making “irresponsible and derogatory” remarks by blaming former chief minister M K Stalin and his govt for the deaths of the 41 people who died in a stampede during a TVK rally in Karur on Sept 27 last year. He was referring to Aadhav Arjunaa’s speech during the induction of former AIADMK ministers C Vijayabaskar and M R Vijayabhaskar into TVK.Bharathi said Aadhav Arjunaa was named as the second accused in the case, while chief minister C Joseph Vijay was summoned by CBI for questioning in connection with the case, but that the minister is trying to divert public attention by making “false allegations".

“We will file a contempt petition against the minister in the Supreme Court,” Bharathi said.He also criticised TVK govt over the arrest of former minister and Tiruchendur MLA Anitha Radhakrishnan for making alleged defamatory remarks against the chief minister. “There is no need for an arrest in defamation cases. During the late chief minister Jayalalithaa’s govt, 16 defamation cases were registered against me and 40 against our leader, but I was never arrested,” he said.

Questioning the govt’s action, Bharathi said Anitha Radhakrishnan was arrested while discharging his duties as an MLA. Alleging that the arrest was the “height of arrogance”, Bharathi asked when the govt would take similar action against Aadhav Arjunaa for his “defamatory speeches”.