DMK threatens to sue Vaiko for 'defaming' party

CHENNAI: Describing as "an utter lie" MDMK chief Vaiko's charge that it was responsible for 'the confusion' in his party, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday said it would file a defamation case against him.

Vaiko's charge was 'an utter lie' and was aimed at defaming the DMK, party Treasurer and state Minister Arcot N Veerasamy told reporters.

The party would file case not only against Vaiko but also against a section of the media, which published his allegation, he said.

Facing a revolt from senior party colleagues, Vaiko had on Monday written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPAChairperson Sonia Gandhi accusing the DMK of planning to cause "terrific damage" to his party.

In identical letters to Singh and Gandhi, Vaiko alleged that it had been learnt from "very reliable sources" that DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had "hatched" a conspiracy with his party's dissident leaders L Ganesan and Gingee N Ramachandran "to create problems and to tarnish the image and credibility of MDMK".