Vijayakant denies defaming Karunanidhi

Chennai, Mar 5 (UNI) Actor-politician Vijayakant has denied having made any defamatory remark against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi in an interview to a Tamil weekly in its issue dated February 27.

Replying to a legal notice sent by Mr Karunanidhi, asking him to tender an unconditional apology or face civil and criminal action, he said he had high regards for the DMK leader and always addressed him as 'Kalaignar', as he is fondly called.

He claimed that the reporter of the Tamil weekly asked many provocative questions during the interview and his replies were published in a false and distorted manner. Even after he asked the reporter not to publish some ''off the record'' remarks, the weekly went ahead and published it for reasons best known to it, he added.

Mr Vijayakant, heading the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), also clarified that he had not made any slanderous remarks against Mr Karunanidhi with an intention to denigrate his reputation and stature in public life.

The DMK leader, in his legal notice dated February 22, had sought an unconditional apology from Mr Vijayakant and the Editor and Publisher of the weekly or face civil and criminal action.

The weekly, in its last edition, had expressed regret for having carried the interview.

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