Sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran was on Monday booked and 10 of his supporters were held in connection with distribution of pamphlets allegedly containing defamatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, in Chennai.
Former MLA Venkatachalam and local AIADMK functionary Saravanan were among the 10 arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by one Vinayakam, alleging that the accused were found distributing the pamphlets among the public outside a hall, where Mr. Palaniswami was holding a meeting with senior officials on October 1.
The pamphlets contained “derogatory remarks” against the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, the police said.
Mr. Dhinakaran and his loyalists P. Vetrivel, one of the 18 AIADMK MLAs recently disqualified from the Tamil Nadu Assembly under the anti-defection law, and V. Pugazhenthi have also been named as accused in the case, the police said.
This is the second case slapped against Mr. Dhinakaran, who is engaged in a tussle for power with Mr. Palaniswami, by the State police.
Earlier, the sidelined AIADMK leader, along with Tamil actor and party functionary Senthil, had been booked for allegedly making defamatory remarks against P. Kumar, the party MP from Tiruchirappalli.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had restrained the Tiruchirappalli police from arresting them.
Responding to the latest case against him, Mr. Dhinakaran alleged that it was filed since his rival Mr. Palaniswami — who holds the Home portfolio — “is the police minister.”
“This government is anyway going to fall. They are doing such these things since he [Palaniswami] is the police Minister... Let them do what they want. The AIADMK supporters and the people are going to send them home,” Mr. Dhinakaran said.
