Aadhav Arjuna Seeks Rs.1 Crore From M.K. Stalin Over DMK X Post

CHENNAI — Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna has taken his dispute with DMK president and former chief minister M.K. Stalin to the Madras High Court, seeking ₹1 crore in damages over an alleged defamatory social media post.

Justice K. Govindarajan Thilakavadi on Friday issued notice to Stalin and the DMK Information Technology Wing. The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 15.

Arjuna, a leader of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has also sought an injunction preventing Stalin and the DMK IT Wing from publishing or circulating similar statements about him.

Dispute centres on June 8 X post

The case concerns a post published on June 8 through the DMK IT Wing’s official X account, @DMKITwing.

According to Arjuna’s petition, the post linked him to John Britto, who has been identified by investigating authorities as a key accused in a narcotics trafficking case involving drugs valued at about ₹258 crore.

Arjuna denies having any relationship with the person named in the drug case. He has described the allegation as false, malicious and defamatory and has argued that it has damaged his reputation and public standing.

The minister’s case also distinguishes the accused in the narcotics investigation from another person, P. John Britto, whom Arjuna says is his relative.

Hindustan Times, citing the court proceedings, reported that Arjuna’s relative had approached the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police and complained that he was being wrongly identified with the person arrested in the narcotics case because of the similarity in their names.

Background to the drug case

The dispute follows an Enforcement Directorate investigation into an alleged narcotics trafficking network operating between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

The ED conducted searches at five locations in Chennai and Madurai in May as part of a money-laundering investigation based on cases registered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. The agency said the investigation involved seizures of 99 kg of hashish and 37.5 kg of methamphetamine, with a combined estimated value of about ₹258 crore. John Britto was identified by the ED as an alleged mastermind of the syndicate.

Those allegations form the underlying context of the political dispute. They should not, however, be confused with the separate question before the High Court over whether the statements concerning Arjuna were defamatory.

Arjuna had already demanded an apology

The legal action follows a notice Arjuna sent to Stalin and the DMK IT Wing in June.

In that notice, the minister sought an unconditional public apology and ₹1 crore in damages. He also demanded that the apology be carried out in Tamil and English through social media and mainstream media outlets. He had warned that civil and criminal proceedings would follow if his demands were not met.

The June notice came after the DMK post alleged that John Britto, described in connection with the narcotics case, was a close relative of Arjuna. Arjuna rejected the assertion and maintained that the person referred to in the drug investigation was not his relative.

What Arjuna is asking the court to do

In the civil suit, Arjuna is seeking ₹1 crore in damages or compensation for the alleged harm to his reputation.

He has also asked the court to restrain Stalin and the DMK IT Wing from publishing or disseminating similar statements in the future. His petition further seeks an apology through newspapers, television channels and social media, according to reports on the proceedings.

Arjuna has argued that the DMK IT Wing’s post was not simply the action of an unauthorised social media worker. His petition alleges that the publication was made with Stalin’s knowledge, direction or approval because of his position as party president and his control over the organisation.

Those are allegations made by the plaintiff in the defamation proceedings and have not been established by the court.

Stalin and DMK IT Wing asked to respond

The High Court’s latest order is a notice seeking a response from the defendants. It is not a finding that Stalin or the DMK defamed Arjuna, nor is it an award of damages.

The notices were made returnable on September 15. Senior counsel J. Ravindran has entered appearance for Stalin and the DMK IT Wing, according to Hindustan Times.

No final determination on the allegations has been reported at this stage.

A dispute playing out amid wider political tensions

The legal confrontation comes as relations between the DMK and the TVK government have become increasingly combative following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

C. Joseph Vijay now heads the state government, while Stalin is the DMK president and former chief minister. Arjuna is serving as the Public Works and Sports Development Minister in the TVK government.

Arjuna and other TVK leaders have recently criticised the previous DMK administration over issues including public works tenders and have announced plans for a white paper on projects and tendering under the previous regime.

The defamation case adds a legal dimension to that increasingly sharp political contest.

For now, the immediate next step is the response from Stalin and the DMK IT Wing before the Madras High Court. The court has scheduled the matter for September 15, when the proceedings are expected to move forward.