Chennai: Opposing any move to exhume the body of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, Union information & broadcasting minister, M. Venkaiah Naidu, lashed out at those suspecting foul play. He said, “doubting Thomases will also raise doubts. If one has authentic information on her health then one could raise the issue.”
“I am not a doctor nor have knowledge to dispute the doctors. She has been ill and we have no reason to disbelieve the doctors (who treated her). There are always doubting Thomases who will raise doubts… so what? I am not in favour of exhuming because I have highest esteem for madam Jayalalithaa,” he said on Monday. He was responding to queries on the doubts raised by certain political parties and organisations that had demanded CBI probe into her treatment and also the remarks made by a Madras High Court judge on a case seeking to know about her health report.
Asked about Justice S. Vaidyanathan who, while hearing a case on December 29, said everybody has a right to question and that he personally had a doubt, Mr. Venkaiah said, “If the judge has an opinion, it is his opinion. If he has issued
notice, it will be replied to (by the Centre). Let us wait for what the court has to say.”
Speaking to reporters at Kamalalayam, BJP state headquarters, here on Monday, the Minister said he had enquired with doctors who attended to Jayalalithaa. “She had recovered at one stage but passed away subsequently due to cardiac arrest. Though there was an issue of privacy involved, the hospital came out with medical bulletins on her health condition. We should not raise such doubts unnecessarily without authentic information. If anyone has authentic information, let them come out with it and then the appropriate authorities will respond,” he added.
OPS is AIADMK’s choice
Stating that the Centre would not interfere in the internal affairs of any political party or in the state administration, Mr Naidu said the decision of making O. Panneerselvam the chief minister was “entirely AIADMK’s.” The Centre has nothing to do with it,” he said adding “put all speculation to rest... I don't want to question AIADMK’s wisdom.”
