Tamil Nadu BJP slaps former spokesperson with Rs 1 crore defamation notice over corruption claims

CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu unit served a formal defamation notice to its former state spokesperson A N S Prasad. The party demanded Rs 1 crore in damages following what it describes as “malicious and baseless” allegations of financial corruption levelled against the state leadership.

The legal notice, issued on Tuesday, by A Kumaraguru, President of the BJP Tamil Nadu Legal Cell, centres on statements Prasad allegedly made in a daily on May 9 and across other public platforms.

According to the document, Prasad accused state-level office bearers of misappropriating funds during the Tamil Nadu State Assembly Elections, collecting money in exchange for MLA seat allotments, using party funds for liquor, food, and personal gain, as well as diverting money meant for the Prime Ministerial program and maintaining “illicit political connections” with rival parties.

The BJP has categorically denied these claims, labelling them “false, fabricated, and scandalous”. The notice asserts that Prasad failed to produce any documentary evidence or “legally sustainable material” to back his “grave allegations”. The party claims these statements were “politically motivated” and designed to create public distrust during a sensitive political period in the state.

The BJP has laid out a strict path for Prasad to avoid further legal action. BJP has asked him to stop disseminating any further allegations against the leadership. It also demanded an unconditional apology on the same media platforms within 7 days and pay Rs 1,00,00,000 for “irreparable reputational injury” and mental agony.

Prasad was removed from his post as spokesperson after publicly urging actor-politician Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), to join the NDA alliance.

The 2026 Tamil Nadu elections were registered in history books after the state declared an unprecedented mandate for Vijay. While TVK ended up winning 108 out of 234 seats in its maiden political stint, it was for the first time in the history of state politics that both legacy ‘Dravidian’ parties were ousted from power.

However, Vijay couldn’t attain a majority on its own and was later offered support by Congress (5), CPI-M (2), CPI (2), VCK (2) and IUML (2), which were earlier the allies of DMK. (ANI)