CHENNAI: AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s letter to the Centre seeking release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has caused a rift in DMK-Congress alliance and threatens to turn into a major block during the poll campaign, if the issue is kept alive in electioneering.
Soon after DMK announced a tie-up with Congress, AIADMK is attempting to revive key issues like corruption and massacre of Sri Lankan Tamils that led to the rout of the two parties in the 2011 Assembly elections. On the very same day when the alliance was formed, AIADMK news channel ‘Jaya TV’ showed clippings of aerial bombardment of Tamil areas during the Lankan military offensive against LTTE in 2009.
AIADMK leaders, including organising secretary S. Ramachandran described the front as “anti-Tamil alliance’.
As soon as Jayalalithaa wrote the letter, DMK leader M. Karunanidhi supported the move and urged the Centre to accept the state government’s request as the convicts had undergone double life imprisonment. It was earlier thought that the two parties would ignore the issue and move on with election works as the state Congress leaders were silent.
But, after the strong reaction of national leaders of Congress, who raised the issue in Parliament and made it an emotional issue, Congress spokesperson ‘Americai’ Narayanan publicly slammed both DMK and AIADMK and said they are raising the issue on poll eve for political gains.
He also strongly opposed the move to release the convicts and said, “We are also speaking on behalf of the 15 Tamil police officers who died in the attack and we are speaking for the affected families. The outfits which call themselves Tamil nationalists and the Dravidian parties are raising the issue during election times for political gains.”
Political analysts feel that such a reaction from the Congress leadership in Delhi is not needed since there is no possibility of the convicts’ release immediately as the model code of conduct will be in place soon and the chances for the Centre to accept Jayalalithaa’s reaction is remote.
But, the shrill voice of Congress , exposing the differences with the DMK will cast a shadow on the poll campaign of both the parties as the issue will be raised by AIADMK, PWA, PMK, Naam Thamizhar party and other pro-Tamil outfits.
The DMK had already lost the previous Assembly elections on the same plank and it will be very tough for the party to defend itself again, they opined.
