Fair criticism in a democracy is a must, Supreme Court told Jayalalithaa.
Highlights
- Jayalalithaa has filed defamation cases against Vijayakanth
- He is opposition leader, has criticized her governance
- Fair criticism in a democracy is a must, says Supreme Court
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is famous for tolerating neither questioning nor appraisal of her policies. But in a democracy, criticism of a government cannot be suppressed, the Supreme Court stressed today, as it put on hold cases filed by her against a political rival.
Asking Ms Jayalalithaa to respond within a month, the judges today said, "In a democracy, fair criticism against a government cannot be treated as a defamatory statement against the Chief Minister".
Vijayakanth, the actor-turned-politician who is known as "Captain" and heads the DMDK, has, together with his wife Premalatha and colleagues, accumulated 14 defamation cases, courtesy Ms Jayalalithaa, for discrediting her governance with a series of remarks including a comment that the floods that wrecked Chennai in December 2015 had been artificially caused
Ms Jayalalithaa, 68, proved her power with a huge re-election in May. When her ministers took oath, several prostrated themselves before her on stage.
She does not interact with the media, and is seen rarely in public, drawing large audiences on the chosen occasions when she appears on the balcony of her residence in Chennai.
When she was jailed on corruption charges for nine months in 2012, thousands of her supporters attacked buses and public property in anger; many shaved their heads to convey their mourning.
After she was acquitted, she returned to office but the case of collecting illicit wealth during an earlier term has now moved to the Supreme Court.
While she was in prison, her replacement, O Paneerselvam, wept while being inducted as Chief Minister and then refused to use her office as a sign of his devotion.