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AIADMK seeks gag order on The Hindu

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI FEB. 20. Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK has approached the Madras High Court for a temporary injunction "restraining" The Hindu from "publishing in future publication, articles, caricatures, news items, cartoons, etc., defamatory or derogatory in nature, without prior verification".

In a civil suit filed before Mr. Justice A. Kulasekaran, which has been posted for Friday, the AIADMK treasurer, C. Sreenivaasan, has said that the suit has arisen due to the publication of a news item on Sunday, February 16, entitled "AIADMK on a gift spree in Sattankulam".

In the plaint, he said that "it is unilaterally claimed without any supportive evidence that `AIADMK bigwigs have silently besieged the hamlets with gift hampers of all kinds — from synthetic sarees for women to cricket bats, volley balls, nets and T-shirts for youth, repairs to local temples remaining dilapidated for several years, construction of buildings for self-help groups, installation of water tanks,' etc. These kinds of allegations can be made at anytime against anyone since it requires no proof. The Hindu will not be in a position to prove that women of Malavarayanatham in Sattankulam constituency have shown these sarees as having received from the AIADMK party".

According to the AIADMK's petition, "the purpose and reason for such publications and distorted news item being carried on can be easily seen by the fact that here is a concocted story of an opposition party which has no legs to stand on its own before the public and seeks the support of newspapers like The Hindu, whose reports could be later utilised to support false pleas to stall the elections by showing it to the Election Commission or used as material in the election petition, if any, that could be filed after the defeat of the candidate".

Submitting that the allegations were "per se defamatory", but could not be measured in terms of money, the plaintiff, however, valued the plaint for damages at Rs. 50 lakhs for the loss of reputation for the party and disgrace, mental agony and pain suffered by the party". He also noted that the defendants "are not in the habit of reconciling themselves to the right path and are bent upon tarnishing the image of the AIADMK party and its functionaries".

In view of that, the AIADMK sought an injunction restraining the newspaper from making such statements or publications without due verification and supporting evidence.

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