Tamil Nadu Minister for Human Resources Management D. Sarathkumar denied allegations that he used illegal drugs at an IPL match in Chennai [1].
The incident has sparked public debate over the conduct of government officials and the spread of misleading digital content. The controversy centers on a viral video clip that appears to show the minister with a white powder while attending a cricket game [2].
Sarathkumar said Friday that the video is misleading [1]. He said that the white substance visible in the footage was not an illegal drug, but rather a child's medicine [2]. According to the minister, the footage has been deliberately misrepresented to create a false narrative about his behavior [1].
To support his defense, Sarathkumar said the video is two years old [1]. He said that the timing of the clip's resurgence suggests a coordinated effort to damage his reputation. He also noted that a ₹500 note is visible in the video [2]—a detail he suggests contradicts the typical depiction of illicit drug transactions.
The minister's office has called for the public to disregard the clip and avoid spreading unverified information. He said that the events took place at an IPL stadium in Chennai, but that the context of the recording was stripped away to mislead viewers [1].
“The white substance visible in the footage was not an illegal drug, but rather a child's medicine.”
This situation highlights the vulnerability of public figures to 'shallowfakes' or out-of-context media, where legitimate footage is repurposed to create false accusations. By citing the age of the video and specific visual markers like currency, the minister is attempting to shift the narrative from a question of personal conduct to one of digital disinformation.
