Claiming that it had evidence to prove that Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar had fathered a child through an extramarital affair, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) on Tuesday demanded his dismissal from the Cabinet. The Minister, however, reiterated that this was a smear campaign, adding that he was prepared to face any probe on the issue.
P. Vetrivel, secretary in-charge of the North Chennai (North) district unit of the AMMK and a disqualified legislator, said Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami should sack the Minister forthwith. Otherwise, Governor Banwarilal Purohit “should intervene in the matter and take appropriate action”.
Claiming that he had “documentary evidence” of the Minister’s involvement in the affair, he dismissed the suggestion that he had chosen to highlight the issue as he and Mr. Jayakumar were seen as rivals in the North Chennai unit of the AIADMK.
Claiming that the woman involved was a resident of the Harbour Assembly constituency, Mr. Vetrivel refused to disclose her identity to ensure her safety and the safety of her family.
Gets colleague’s support
Reiterating his position, Mr. Jayakumar said he was ready to face any probe. Tamil Development Minister K. Pandiarajan also came to his aid. Addressing mediapersons after attending an event in Tiruvallur district, Mr. Pandiarajan said Mr. Jayakumar would tackle the issue legally.
Mr. Jayakumar was caught in a controversy after an audio clip containing a purported conversation between him and a woman over the pregnancy of her daughter went viral on social media. In the audio clip, a man could be heard hinting at the need to terminate a pregnancy. A birth certificate of a baby, issued in Chennai, with the father’s name mentioned as ‘D. Jayakumar’, has also been doing the rounds online.
The Minister had, on Monday, insisted that the voice in the audio clip was not his, and that he had many namesakes.