Tamil Nadu: Udhaya Sues TV Channels Seeking Rs 100 Crore In Damages
The channels were asked to issue unconditional apology within 48 hours of receiving the legal notice in the broadcast and official social media pages: Reports
CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin has sued television channels, 'India Today TV and NDTV 24x7, along with their news anchor Akshita Nandagopal and Shiva Aroor for distorting news reports by claiming that he spoke something that he did not say and sought a compensation of Rs 100 crore that would be given away to farmers who were unable to carry out paddy cultivation in the Kuruvai season due to lack of water in River Cauvery.
The legal notice, sent on behalf of Udhayanidhi Stalin, also demanded a public apology from the television channels and the removal of the content accusing him to saying certain things at the DMK’s farmers’’ rally at Thanjavur from their Youtube pages
In the discussion programs aired on India Today TV and its YouTube page on August 3 and 4, the speech of the. Udhayanidhi Stalin in Thanjavur was distorted and false and defamatory comments were made, the legal notice said adding that he did not refer to any individual in his speech. But news anchor Akshita Nandagopal had misinterpreted it by saying that he spoke about a woman in a derogatory manner.
Similarly, NDTV news anchor Shiva Aroor has framed the slogans raised by some people at a protest rally in support of farmers as Udhayanidhi Stalin's views and misrepresented them as double-meaning obscene speech, it said.
Shiva Aroor had been continuously expressing personal enmity against DMK, DMK leaders and Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin's family on his social media pages for more than a decade, using obscene words, the notice pointed out with evidence.
When. Udhayanidhi Stalin had not mentioned any name or spoken about the personal life of the Chief Minister anywhere, the NDTV debate shows accusing him of making defamatory comments was a deliberate act of conspiracy, the notice said.
The channels were asked to issue unconditional apology within 48 hours of receiving the legal notice in the broadcast and official social media pages.
