Reporter’S Diary: Manickavel’s submission lets cat among the pigeons in AIADMK

The AIADMK camp is reverberating with questions about the identity of the two ministers, and also what the officer would submit in the court.

Meanwhile, flustered after finding his name mentioned in connection with the case in a report by a news channel, state Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan said he was shocked and clueless to know that his name was being dragged into the controversy. 

He had nothing to do with the ongoing investigations or those arrested in connection with the idol theft cases, stressed the Minister.

Speaking to reporters along with Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister Sevoor Ramachandran at Vellore on Thursday, Sreenivasan accused a section of the media of spreading false and frivolous news and warned legal action against media houses broadcasting such defamatory news.  The senior minister added that he has urged the government pleaders to take the issue forward by serving legal notices.

With media spinning stories around the court proceedings, the Madras High Court on Thursday passed a gag order restricting the media from publishing any news regarding the court proceedings without the leave of the court.

“By taking this measure, some accountability can be brought in or the parties will be put to prejudice due to the distorted news items appearing in the media,” justice N Anand Venkatesh said in his order.