High drama prevails on Madras HC campus as Karunanidhi appears in court

As expected, DMK president and former chief minister M Karunanidhi made a political spectacle of a defamation case filed against him by the Tamil Nadu government when he appeared before the principal sessions court — situated on the Madras high court premises — here on Monday.

The judge, N Authinathan, took barely a minute to take note of the 92-year-old leader’s personal appearance and adjourned the case to March 10 for further hearing.

But by then the crowd had swelled both inside and outside the court hall and also started raising slogans. Police had a tough time controlling the crowd, most of them party advocates.

The case relates to a statement issued by Karunanidhi asking as to what his rival and chief minister Jayalalithaa had achieved during her four years in power.

Karunanudhi turned his court appearance into a political event ahead of the assembly elections in the state. Though his lawyers had suggested that as usual this defamation complaint too could be challenged in the high court and proceedings could be stayed, he preferred to appear in court in person.

Karunanidhi’s outing was an opportunity for the DMK to draw attention to, what it describes as, the persecution of the ruling party’s critics and political rivals.

Emerging from the court, the DMK chief told reporters that defamation cases were being filed for anything said about the state government. Karunanidhi made this remark when he was asked about the high incidence of defamation cases filed by the state government.

He said even the Supreme Court had recently indicated that initiating so many defamation cases was not the right attitude. “I have nothing new to say,” he said.

“Justice will prevail, and people should unite for justice,” he said.

Asked about his message to people in the state, Karunanidhi said people should unite, transcending political differences, for the progress of the state.

Karunanidhi said he would not compel any political party to form an alliance with him. “The decision on the matter should be their own. If formed, I will comply with it,” he said.

The DMK chief was accompanied by his son and former deputy chief minister M K Stalin, daughter and party’s Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi and senior party leaders T R Baalu, Dayanidhi Maran, Durai Murugan and Arcot Veerasamy.