TVK Minister D. Sarathkumar Clarifies Viral IPL Video: Says White Powder Was Crushed Prescription Pill for Child

Tamil Nadu's Human Resources Development Minister D. Sarathkumar has stepped forward to address a viral video that triggered allegations of drug use, insisting the white powder seen in the footage was nothing more than a crushed prescription tablet he prepared for his ailing toddler.

The clip, which began circulating widely this week, shows the minister seated in a stadium, using what appears to be an ATM card to arrange a line of white powder on a smartphone screen, with a Rs 500 note placed beside it. The imagery, paired with an old caption reading "Thug Life Moment" that had been pulled from his own social media account, was enough to set off a wave of speculation and pointed criticism online.

By Friday, with the allegations gathering pace, Sarathkumar appeared in a video alongside his wife to set the record straight.

"My Child Could Not Swallow the Tablet"

According to the minister, the footage was filmed nearly two years ago during an IPL match at Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, where he had gone to watch the game with family. He said his young child, then about a year and a half old, had fallen unwell during the outing.

"My child was unwell. My wife told me the baby wouldn't take the tablet as it was, so I crushed it into powder to mix with water and feed it to her," Sarathkumar said, describing the medicine as one prescribed by a doctor. He maintained that the entire episode was a routine parenting moment that had since been twisted into something else entirely.

His wife also backed his account in the clarification video, confirming that the incident took place around two years ago and had nothing to do with substance use.

Minister Questions Feasibility of the Allegations

Pushing back hard against the drug-use narrative, Sarathkumar argued that the setting itself made the allegations implausible. He pointed out that the stadium was packed with spectators and under heavy police security at the time, asking how anyone could realistically be expected to use narcotics in full public view under those conditions.

He expressed disappointment that a personal, years-old video had resurfaced to cast doubt on his character, calling the entire controversy a misrepresentation of an innocent moment between a father and his sick child.

Political Reaction Follows

The clarification has not entirely settled the matter politically. The timing of the video's resurfacing on the International Day Against Drug Abuse, the same day Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay flagged off an anti-drug awareness marathon has not gone unnoticed by opposition voices.

The DMK's IT wing was quick to mock the minister's explanation online, with a party spokesperson questioning the optics of the video while stopping short of disputing his identity in the footage. The opposition has called for clarity on the issue, with at least one party representative suggesting that an inquiry led by an officer from outside the state would help put public doubts to rest, given the minister's resemblance to common drug-use imagery in the clip despite his explanation.

Sarathkumar's party has not announced any further response beyond the minister's personal clarification at the time of writing. The controversy continues to generate discussion on social media platforms across Tamil Nadu.

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