CHENNAI: A defamation case has been filed against AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for making alleged derogatory remarks about former party MP K C Palanisamy. The petitioner filed a case at the Coimbatore judicial magistrate court against the AIADMK bigwig claiming that the former made unsavory remarks about him during a recent interaction with reporters.
In his petition, he stated that he had joined the party in 1972 and quickly climbed the political ladder to become an MLA in 1984 and then an MP in 1989. A few days ago, when reporters had posed questions to Edappadi Palaniswami at the Coimbatore airport about a party integration meeting that was organised by K C Palanisamy after former CM J Jayalalithaa's death, the party chief allegedly made remarks about the former MP claiming that he was not answerable for the actions of random people who had joined the party while ousted party leader O Panneerselvam was in power.
Edappadi went on to remark that people from the street should not be given undue importance.
Irked by this, K C Palanisamy filed a defamation case against Edappadi at the Coimbatore court which is expected to come up for hearing on Wednesday.
In 2023, Edappadi had alleged K C Palanisamy of 'illegally' receiving money and distributed 'fake' party membership cards. Over this, the latter filed a criminal defamation complaint claiming that Edappadi had tarnished his reputation. Later, in January this year, the Supreme Court stayed a Madras High Court order, which had restored defamation proceedings initiated against Edappadi. The HC had set aside a Chennai court order which had dismissed the defamation complaint.
(With inputs from Bureau)