A special court in Chennai has summoned Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu to appear on September 13 in connection with a defamation case filed by an AIADMK functionary. The case, brought forward by RM Babu Murugavel, the joint secretary of the AIADMK legal wing, accuses the Speaker of making defamatory remarks about the AIADMK.The special court, which handles cases related to MPs and MLAs, heard the petition in which the AIADMK’s counsel claimed that the Speaker had previously refused to accept a summons. The defense argued that the earlier summons had not been sent to the Speaker’s official address, but assured the court that their client is now prepared to appear.
Following these submissions, the court ordered the Speaker to appear on September 13 and adjourned the hearing.
The defamation case stems from remarks allegedly made by the Speaker in November of the previous year. According to the petitioner, the Speaker claimed in a public speech that after the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, more than 40 AIADMK Assembly members were prepared to join the DMK. The Speaker also allegedly mentioned that a senior AIADMK member had approached him for assistance in facilitating this shift in loyalties.
The petitioner argued that these statements were fabricated and intended to defame the AIADMK, prompting the filing of a criminal defamation complaint against the Speaker.