Madras High Court on Friday asked opposition party leaders and two newspapers to appear before the court in connection to the multiple defamation suits filed by the Tamil Nadu government.

In the past few months following the Chennai floods, the government had filed numerous defamation cases against those who criticised the alleged mismanagement on part of the government to minimize damage and provide relief to the citizens.

DMK leader M K Stalin, DMDK leader Vijayakanth and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss are set to appear in the court regarding the defamation case filed by the Tamil Nadu government for criticizing the government for the Chennai floods.

M K Stalin has been asked to be present in the court on April 18, Anbumani Ramadoss on April 21 and Vijayakanth on April 22,2016.

Tamil newspapers Dinakaran and Dinamalar have been asked to appear in the court on April 6 and Murasoli, another Tamil newspaper to be present in court on April 12, 2016 for the defamation cases filed against them by the Tamil Nadu government for different reasons.

The latest of those defamation cases were filed against DMDK leader Vijayakanth earlier this week.