A local court on Thursday issued summons to social activist 'Traffic' Ramasamy, asking him to appear before it on February 22 for allegedly defamatory remarks against Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on WhatsApp over distribution of flood relief material.

Principal Sessions Judge N Audinathan issued the summons to him on a criminal defamation complaint filed by city Public Prosecutor M L Jegan on behalf of the Chief Minister. The CPP contended that the words used by Ramasamy were "highly defamatory, scandalous, disparaging, insuinating and highly provocative."