Tamil Nadu HRD Minister D. Sarathkumar. File | Photo credit: B. Jyoti Ramalingam.
Tamil Nadu HRD Minister D Sarathkumar on Friday (June 26, 2026) refuted claims circulating on social media that a viral video from an Indian Premier League (IPL) match allegedly shows him preparing to snort drugs. The video shows him using a credit or debit card to apply a powdery strip of white substance to the screen of a mobile phone.
Addressing the media on Friday, Mr. Sarathkumar said the video was recorded about two years ago during an IPL match and has now resurfaced along with “rumours”. He claimed the video showed him crushing a pill for his one-and-a-half-year-old child after his wife told him the child was refusing to take the medicine and spitting out the pill.
He said they crushed the tablet and mixed it with liquid to make it easier for the child to take.
The minister said the video was selectively circulated on social media to create a false impression that he was dealing in drugs. “The video was misinterpreted. Those who were present with me know what really happened,” he said.
Published – June 26, 2026 6:33 pm EST.