TN CM hits out at DMK over Kodanad heist case

Campaigning at Arakkonam seeking votes for alliance partners New Justice Party chief A C Shanmugham and PMK leader A K Moorthy, Palaniswami said police have arrested those involved in the case.

"..It is the DMK which is taking steps to get those arrested released and this has led people to doubt whether that party was involved in it," he said.

In April 2017, the security guard of the Kodanad estate, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's retreat-home in the hilly district of Nilgiris, was found dead.

Ten people have been arrested in connection with the robbery attempt at the estate-bungalow which was used by Jayalalithaa for both official and residential purposes.

Two key accused-- C Kanagaraj and K V Sayan-- had recently alleged Palaniswami's involvement in the heist case in a video released by a journalist Mathew Samuel in Delhi.

Palaniswami had rejected the charges, dismissing it as a "lie".

The chief minister had also filed a defamation suit in the Madras High court which had restrained Samuel and six others, including Sayan and Manoj, from making any statement linking him to the case.

Holding that it was the responsibility of a government to clarify the doubts raised by the people, Palaniswami said "those involved cannot escape from the law and this government will take prompt action."

Referring to DMK leader and former union minister A Raja's close aide Sadiq Batcha, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 2011 amid the probe into the 2G spectrum scam, he said, "Members of his (Batcha) family released advertisements on his death anniversary recently, saying "bad friendship causes utter ruin."

Even Sadiq Batcha's wife was attacked recently by some miscreants while she was travelling, Palaniswami said.

An investigation will be conducted into the matter, he said.

Taking potshots at the DMK, he said an ordinary worker like him could rise to the level of Chief Minister in the AIADMK.

But that is not the case with the DMK as after the death of his father M Karunanidhi, Stalin became that party's president, Palaniswami said.

"Only in AIADMK, a cadre can rise to various levels and hold the top post. I myself am an example for it," he said.

Referring to MDMK chief Vaiko joining the DMK alliance for the Lok Sabha polls, Palaniswami said it was Vaiko who had vowed that he would never campaign for making Stalin the chief minister.

"But, today he has joined the DMK led alliance. Stalin has forged an alliance with parties which has lost the people's faith. People will teach a good lesson to the DMK alliance in this Lok Sabha elections," he said.