Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) today (Apr 10, 2004) demanded that the Election Commission (EC) ban two programmes telecast by Jaya TV, a Tamil satellite TV channel, run by the family of T T V Dinakaran, former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Member of Parliament, as it amounted to a "smear and defamatory campaign against the leaders of Opposition parties".

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy, DMK's organising secretary T K S Elangovan said that the two programmes, 'Arasiyal Countdown' (Political Countdown) and 'Aha Oho Besh Besh', anchored by AIADMK Member of Legislative Assembly Radha Ravi and AIADMK MP S S Chandran, "flouted all political norms and violated the model code of conduct".

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...

"Scandalous attacks are being made against the leaders of Opposition parties the DMK president M Karunanidhi, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko, DMK deputy general secretary M K Stalin and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr S Ramadoss and aspects of private life not connected with public activities are being criticised beyond the limits of political decorum and moral decency," he said.

"These programmes were telecast with a malicious intention to defame the leaders," he said.

"They split venom and cast aspersions on the Opposition leaders. None of the Democratic Progressive Alliance leaders are spared from this attack," he said.

He also demanded action against Radha Ravi and S S Chandran under the Representation of people act.