Tamil Nadu: 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
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.
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.
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
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.
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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.
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