The DMK seems to have threatened two senior journalists at national television networks with legal notices over their coverage of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Cauvery protest vulgar remarks targeting actor Trisha Krishnan.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and DMK Youth Wing Secretary, issued the notices through his lawyer, Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson, going after Shiv Aroor, Managing Editor and Chief Anchor at NDTV 24×7, and Akshita Nandagopal, Senior Editor and Anchor at India Today TV, by name. Both notices, dated 6 August 2026 and issued through P. Wilson Associates, demand a public apology, the takedown of specific broadcast videos, and damages of Rs 100 crore each, a combined Rs 200 crore, within 48 hours of receipt.
On behalf of Hon. Leader of Opposition Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, we have issued legal notices to Thiru Shiv Aroor of NDTV and Tmt Akshita Nandagopal of India Today for orchestrating a smear campaign and manufacturing a controversy by misquoting the Hon. LoP’s speech on the… pic.twitter.com/DR15QSmZ3V
— Richardson Wilson (@sine_lege) August 6, 2026
Demands In The Legal Notice
According to the notices, Udhayanidhi Stalin seeks:
- An unconditional public apology broadcast prominently by the respective channels and published on the journalists’ official social media accounts.
- Immediate removal of the allegedly defamatory videos and all related content.
- A direction restraining further publication or dissemination of similar allegations.
- Damages of ₹100 crore, which the notice says would be donated to farmers affected by Kuruvai crop losses.
Legal Remedy or Legal Bullying?
The notices raise a more fundamental question: Is this an attempt to defend reputation or to make journalists think twice before reporting on powerful politicians?
A ₹100-crore legal threat against journalists sends a message far beyond the two recipients. It signals to every newsroom that aggressive reporting on senior DMK leaders could come with enormous legal and financial consequences.
Neither NDTV nor India Today fabricated Udhayanidhi’s speech. They reported on remarks delivered in public, which subsequently became the subject of widespread political debate. Instead of engaging with the criticism, the DMK leadership has chosen to threaten journalists with crippling litigation.
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