Agencies | Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Minister D. Sarathkumar on Friday dismissed allegations that he was preparing to consume drugs in a viral video, asserting that the footage had been taken out of context and wrongly interpreted.
Sarathkumar, who holds the Human Resources Management portfolio, said the video was recorded around two years ago during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match while he was crushing a medicine tablet for his one-and-a-half-year-old child.
Explaining the circumstances, the minister said his wife had informed him that their child was refusing to swallow the medicine and repeatedly spitting it out. To make it easier for the child to consume, he crushed the tablet into a fine powder before mixing it with a liquid.
The controversy erupted after a video circulated on social media showing Sarathkumar using what appeared to be a debit or credit card to crush a white substance placed on a mobile phone screen. Several social media users claimed the clip showed the minister preparing to consume illegal drugs.
Rejecting the allegations, Sarathkumar said the old video had resurfaced with “rumours” and was being selectively shared to create a misleading impression. He maintained that the substance seen in the video was a medicine tablet and not an illegal drug.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy called for a police investigation into the matter, saying the allegations should be thoroughly examined to establish the truth.
No official investigation had been announced by the authorities at the time of filing this report.
