DMK serves legal notice to Jayalalithaa

Chennai, Oct 19: The ruling DMK today slapped a legal notice on AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa, threatening to initiate civil and criminal action for making defamatory statements against party President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin.

Party Advocate R S Bhaarathi, on behalf of the Chief Minister and Mr Stalin, called upon Ms Jayalalithaa to publicly retract her offensive statement that the two leaders had made some remarks, posing threat to her life, within 48 hours of receipt of the notice, failing which appropriate civil and criminal action for defamation would be initiated.

He also served notice on three newspapers and a private television channel, which carried Ms Jayalalithaa's statement, to retract the publication within 48 hours, or face action.

Mr Bhaarathi said Ms Jayalalithaa's remarks, linking the intrusion of a person into her residence on October 16 with the alleged conversation of the two leaders, amounted to implicating them in some conspiracy.

''All your aforesaid statements tied together are clearly intended to convey to the public some sinister attribute to our clients and their conduct, thereby attempting to bring down their reputation among the persons who read your statement,'' he said in the notice.

He said Ms Jayalalithaa's statements were completely false and had been made for political reasons, apart from reasons of personal malice.

UNI