The Madras High Court on Monday expressed displeasure over the “waning quality” of political rhetoric in the State and urged the leaders to avoid “vituperative and abusive” language while addressing each other. It also advised them to desist from levelling allegations without materials to substantiate them.
Justice N. Sathish Kumar made the observations while quashing three criminal defamation cases filed at the instance of the State government against DMK president M.K. Stalin for having accused Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and others of indulging in corruption.
Making it clear that his observations were not directed only against the petitioner before the court but also other politicians, the judge said though everyone enjoys a constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, it could not be taken as a licence by them to use abusive language against their opponents.
“This court is of the view that the leaders, irrespective of political parties, should introspect on the use of harsh words and vituperative language and desist from doing so at least in the future,” the judge observed in one of the three orders.
He was dismayed when State Public Prosecutor A. Natarajan read out the contents of the petitioner’s Tamil speeches for which the defamation proceedings had been initiated.
He said the language used by the Leader of the Opposition was not in good taste.
Though as many as eight quash petitions filed by Mr. Stalin had been listed before the judge on Monday, he quashed only three cases. He adjourned the rest to January 7 after the SPP stated that he required time to argue them since they were related to a baseless charge levelled against the Chief Minister.
It was brought to the notice of the court that two of the five cases had been filed against the Leader of the Opposition for having accused Mr. Palaniswami of playing a role in the Kodanad case without any iota of material. “This is a baseless charge and I need time to argue the matter,” he told the judge.
