The Tamil National Alliance has this week threaten legal action against the Vanni MP, Sivasakthy Ananthan.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the ITAK leader, Mavai Senathirajah sent a letter to Mr Ananthan warning him that legal proceedings would be initiated over defamatory comments he allegedly made against Mr Senathirajah.
"We are instructed that you have made and that you continue to make false and defamatory statements with regard to our client. These statements have been made several times from on and or about 19th December 2017," the letter, forwarded to the press by the TNA Media Office, read.
"We are instructed that the loss and damage caused to our client by the aforesaid false and defamatory statements is incalculable. However, our client limits the said loss and damage to a sum of Rupees One Billion (Rs. 1,000,000,000.00) for the purposes of this demand which is limited to the aforesaid false and defamatory statements made by you to date.
In the circumstances we have been instructed to demand, and demand is hereby made, to pay our client a sum of Rupees One Billion (Rs. 1,000,000,000.00) with immediate effect, in any case not later than within two weeks of this letter."
The letter comes just days before Sri Lanka's local government election this month.
Read full letter here.