The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by AIADMK advocate wing joint secretary M Babu Murugavel, which challenged a Madras High Court decision to quash a defamation complaint against Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu. Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti found no grounds to overturn the High Court’s ruling from October 25, 2023, thereby closing the case.
The complaint originated from remarks made by Speaker Appavu during a book release in November 2023, where he claimed that 40 AIADMK MLAs were prepared to defect to the DMK following the death of AIADMK’s former leader J Jayalalithaa in December 2016. Murugavel contended that Appavu’s statements had tarnished the reputation of the AIADMK.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate S Nagamuthu represented Murugavel, arguing that the alleged comments had significantly impacted the political party’s standing. However, the Supreme Court bench pointed to the existence of anti-defection laws designed to handle such political shifts, indicating that the case did not present an unusual or exceptional circumstance warranting further judicial intervention.
The bench’s remarks underscored the legal mechanisms in place to address political defections, suggesting that Appavu’s comments fell within the ambit of typical political discourse. Consequently, when it became apparent that the bench was not persuaded by the arguments presented, counsel for Murugavel chose to withdraw the plea, leading to its dismissal.
The Madras High Court, in its earlier decision to quash the defamation complaint, had noted that the imputation made by Appavu was directed at the MLAs and not at Murugavel directly. The court also highlighted that for Murugavel to pursue such a complaint, he needed explicit authorization to represent the party, which was not evident in this case.
