Stalin firm on probe into Jayalalithaa’s death

A division bench comprising Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao and Justice S M Subramaniam in an interim order on Tuesday, said “Entire election process to be completed latest by May 14. All the directions of the single judge shall be truthfully implemented.” The bench also observing that the issue cannot be dragged further as it involves governance of a society, directed the state government to cooperate and provide necessary infrastructure to SEC. 

H Addressing a massive gathering of party cadre and the general public during a fast organised to condemn the attack on the Opposition Leader, he said that those who had been lodged in the Bangalore prison, would have to serve their entire life when the inquiry commission brings out the truth on the death of the former CM. 

Terming the hunger protest as a war against the ‘benami’ government in the State, Stalin said it was the responsibility of DMK to ensure a peaceful life for the next generation in Tamil Nadu. “This protest is neither for the sake of the DMK nor with any motive but in line with mood of the general public against the present AIADMK government,” he added. 

Opining that mandate of the people was only for Jayalalaithaa as the CM and not those who are in power in the State at present, the Opposition Leader said that the DMK could never accept corrupt people at the helm.

Insisting that the MLAs should also vote secretly like in the election, Stalin said, “If the secrete voting system was followed on the day of trust vote in the House, the present government on ‘remote control’ from Bangalore prison would have been defeated as expected by the people.” 

Claiming that intensivist Richard Beale’s statement had several contradictions, Stalin wondered why the London expert failed to explain why the former CM had to stay in the hospital for 75 days.

“When the inquiry panel brings out the truth in the death of Jayalalithaa, those who have been awarded a four-year jail term now will have to complete their life in prison only,” he warned.

In Madurai and several southern districts too, there was a large turnout of DMK cadre in all the protest venues on Wednesday. 

A fast, led by DMK district secretaries, Thalapathy and Velusamy, was observed near Pazhanganatham in Madurai. MLA PTR Panalivel Thiagarajan and former MLA Pon Muthuramalingam also took part in the agitation.

A majority of the functionaries, who addressed the cadre during the protest, claimed that the attack on the Leader of Opposition was pre-planned. Claiming that select police officers were brought into the House in the guise of Assembly guards to launch an attack on Stalin, the speakers alleged that there was a nexus between the ruling party legislators and policemen. 

Similar fast agitations were conducted in all the southern districts with the same set of demands. Large number of DMK supporters participated in the fast. 

The response to the state-wide agitation called by the DMK was overwhelming in western districts too like in other parts of the state. MLAs, senior functionaries and cadre participated in large numbers. In Coimbatore, more than 1,000 cadre took part in the protest. Former minister Pongalur N Palanisamy and Singanallur MLA N Karthik participated in the protest. More than 5,500 persons took part in the fast at three places Salem district. Students of the Government arts college, traders’ bodies, Congress, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi, India Jananayaka Katchi and Indian Union Muslim League also extended support by joining the fast. 

While the protest in Dharmapuri district saw the participation of around 3,000 persons, in Krishnagiri district, the number was around 4,000. In Tirupur and Erode protests were conducted at two places. In both the districts, around 3000 took part in the agitation.

A noticeable development was that some prominent faces of the local units of the TMC were also seen in the fast venue. In fact, they were sharing the dais along with the DMK functionaries. When asked about the TMC functionaries’ presence, Stalin said that their leader GK Vasan had instructed them to extend the support.