Local Administration Minister M K Stalin said on Friday that he did not want to press the privilege issues against the media which had reported All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary J Jayalalitha’s charge, made at a press conference, that he and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi were plotting to eliminate her before the next assembly elections.

Making a suo motu statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Mr Stalin said he had decided on the advice of the party high command not to press his motion for breach of privilege against electronic and print media like Jaya TV, Namadhu MGR and Makkal Kural which had reported Ms Jayalalitha’s allegation.

Confusion

He said though the Speaker had clarified on Thursday itself that the privilege issue was only against Ms Jayalalitha, there was a confusion with a section of the media reporting that he had orally pressed for action against the media too.

Refuting the contention that a privilege issue cannot lie against a person for actions or statements made outside the House, Mr Stalin cited precedents like the privilege issues raised against Mr Karunanidhi for his writings in DMK organ Murasoli between 2004 and 2006, when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was in power.

When one such motion was moved against Mr Karunanidhi on September 28, 2005, the then chief minister, Ms Jayalalitha, had said if a member chose to express his views and opinions outside the House, he was liable for breach of privilege.