Stop issuing defamatory statements, Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani tells M K Stalin

Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani on Saturday asked DMK chief M K Stalin to stop spreading canards by linking him to the arrest of a news portal owner in the city. When the entire world was taking all-out efforts to combat COVID-19 and Tamil Nadu becoming a model for other states in fighting the disease, Stalin was issuing an unnecessary statement against the state government out of jealousy, Velumani said in a press release. Stating that he was not bothered about Stalin's allegations, the Minister said the people and the media were aware of the efforts taken by him and the government to prevent the spread of the disease in Chennai, Coimbatore and Nilgiris.

The arrest of the news portal owner was made following the complaint made by a corporation official for publishing articles which could have led to provoking the government staff and doctors against the Government, he said.

"I condemn the way Stalin was linking me to the arrest, even when I do not know about such a news portal," he said.

Unable to bear the success of the government in fighting the disease, Stalin, forgetting political decency, was issuing half-baked statements and supporting some elements who wanted to create unrest among the government staff and doctors, Velumani said.

Stalin on Friday had condemned the arrest of Andrew Sam Raja Pandia, the portal owner, and accused the state government of misusing its powers during the crisis and also Velumani for using the police to arrest journalists.