VIKRAVANDI: Lashing out at the DMK president M K Stalin’s broadside against the ruling AIADMK about ‘a mystery’ in the death of former Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, the present Chief Minister Mr. Edappadi K Palaniswami said the DMK has no locus standi whatsoever to speak on Amma’s death.
Campaigning for the AIADMK candidate, R. Muthamizhselvan, contesting the Assembly by-election from Vikravandi, at various places from an open van on Thursday, Mr. Palaniswami asked why Mr. Stalin was now concerned about the circumstances of Ms. Jayalalithaa’s death, when it was the DMK which went on appeal in the Supreme court against the Karnataka High court order acquitting ‘Amma’ and others in the disproportionate assets case.
The “mental agony and depression” Ms. Jayalalitaa suffered when the appeal was pending (the Supreme court upholding the trial court conviction on Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and others in the assets case came after Amma’s demise on December 5, 2016), was what led to her health deterioration and death, for “which the DMK, its leaders M Karunanidhi and M. K. Stalin were responsible”, after having preferred an appeal against the Karnataka High court acquittal.
“But Stalin is misleading the people raising the bogey of a mystery behind Amma’s death for political gains,” Mr. Palaniswami charged. He added that it was the DMK which had foisted “false cases” against Jayalalithaa during her Chief Ministerial tenure.
So Stalin has no right to speak about Amma’s death, he emphatically added.
Mr. Palaniswami also blamed the earlier DMK rule for ushering in the Neet exam. Though DMK has been pressing for holding Local Bodies elections, it was the DMK which went to court against it, Palaniswami said, adding, “despite these, we are taking all steps to hold the Local Bodies elections by December end.” Villupuram district AIADMK strongman and
Law minister C.Ve. Shanmugham accompanied the Chief Minister in the campaign van.
