CHENNAI: A day after the mortal remains of DMK president and former chief minister
M Karunanidhi were laid to rest, the daggers were out between arch rivals – ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK – over the issue of allotting space on the Marina for the nonagenarian leader’s burial.
Fisheries minister D Jayakumar on Thursday condemned DMK working president M K Stalin for making baseless charges against the state government over allotment of space for Karunanidhi’s burial on the Marina. On Thursday evening, Jayakumar charged Stalin with adding a tinge of poison, while airing his opinion on the government’s action.
In an open letter to DMK cadre, that appeared on Thursday morning in the party organ Murasoli, Stalin had alleged that the ruling AIADMK, “out of vendetta and in line with the tricks of thosedirecting them” had refused to allot space on Marina, as desired by Karunanidhi. Stalin, however, stopped short of naming the BJP government at the Centre, in his letter to the cadres.
Responding to it, Jayakumar listed out various measures — including declaring a public holiday, state honours for burial, granting permission to use
Rajaji Hall for the occasion and providing adequate police protection among others — taken by the state government in honour of the veteran leader. “We are forced to list the measures because of Stalin’s letter,” Jayakumar said.
Recalling the ‘debatable’ issue of Karunanidhi’s refusal to allot space on Marina for the burial of former CMs K Kamaraj and Janaki MGR, Jayakumar alleged it was the DMK that had indulged in such vendetta. “DMK opposed the unveiling of a portrait of J
Jayalalithaa in the assembly and it was the party that slapped numerous cases against her. Neither CM K Palaniswamy nor deputy CM O Panneerselvam and others in the AIADMKwillbebotheredby this age-old tendency of the DMK to blame us for everything,” Jayakumar said.
D Jayakumar
