Will order probe into MK’s death, says CM

Slamming the DMK of attempting to frame him in the Kodanad murder cum heist, Chief Minister Palaniswami accused Stalin of capturing the reigns of the party by denying better treatment to his father Karunanidhi and keeping him under house arrest for nearly two years.

Palaniswami’s statement is seen as a direct counter to his rival and DMK chief Stalin, who has been harping on the death of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa in December

2016, saying if the DMK comes to power, it would probe the circumstances leading to her demise. Stalin has said that such a probe would reveal the facts behind Jayalalithaa’s death to her true followers.

“Karunanidhi couldn’t speak and why? Because, until he remains the party’s president, Stalin thought he could not become the leader. So, Stalin decided to keep him in house arrest without giving any treatment for two years,” said Palaniswami, while campaigning for the party’s The Nilgiris constituency candidate M Thyagarajan.

The Chief Minister further said that even the DMK men say that Karunanidhi could have spoken well and recovered, if he were given high-end treatment in foreign countries.

“While in house arrest, Stalin insisted his father multiple times to announce him as the party president. But Kalaingar refused, because he knew well that if he himself endures so much torture, what would be the fate of his cadres. It’s after his death that Stalin became the party leader,” he said, adding that the AIADMK government will order a probe into Karunanidhi’s death.

  Stating that Stalin has been trying to frame false charges against him in the Kodanad murder cum heist, Palaniswami said that the video clip in media has shown Shyan and Manoj discussing how to execute the plan as taught by Stalin and how to drag the Chief Minister into the issue.

“Those involved in Kodanad issue are taken out on bail at the behest of Stalin; he should only be called the leader of the murderer gang,” he said. The Chief Minister also came down heavily on the DMK for giving tickets to A Raja and M Kanimozhi, jailed in the 2G Spectrum scam to contest in the Lok Sabha polls.

“The DMK is the only party in India that was dissolved for corruption. Being so, what authority Stalin has to blame AIADMK on corruption,” he asked.

The Chief Minister also promised to implement combined drinking water scheme, increase wages for tea estate labourers and address other issues faced by The Nilgiris residents.