CHENNAI: From the time former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa was wheeled into Apollo Hospitals on September 22 last year to her death after 75 days and even nine months later her hospitalisation and circumstances that led to her passing away have generated much political heat in Tamil Nadu with the ruling party and the Opposition trading charges against each other.
While it was just the Opposition parties like DMK and PMK that demanded an inquiry instituted by the central government into Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation till the ruling party split in February this year, the then rebellious O. Panneerselvam also jumped onto the bandwagon and went to the extent of even accusing the VK Sasikala family of having a role in her death.
In fact, Panneerselvam made an inquiry into Jayalalithaa’s death the centerpiece of his demands for a merger with the majority camp led by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. Though the AIADMK ministers and leaders were maintaining that there was no “mystery” behind Jayalalithaa’s death and that every possible treatment was given to her till the party was united, they changed the track as things and loyalties changed.
Opposition Leader M.K. Stalin, PMK founder S Ramadoss, CPI’s R Mutharasan and CPI-M’s G Rama-krishnan were unanimous in demanding a detailed probe into Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation and her subsequent death right from day one. Ironically, the same ministers who mocked at Stalin for demanding an inquiry said later that they "lied" to the people about her health condition fearing Sasikala.
After Sasikala was elected as leader of AIADMK Legislature Party, the government flew in British expert Dr Richard Beale to explain to the media on the treatment given to her.
But, that failed to cut ice with the people and parties kept on demanding a probe into the circumstances that led to her death.
Chief Minister Palaniswami, who was dead opposed to forming any inquiry, had to announce a one-member judicial commission owing to political compulsions as Panneerselvam dug in his heels on the issue of the probe, making it a pre-condition for the merger.
And the latest salvo came from Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan, who told a public meeting that they “lied” that Jayalalithaa ate idlis and solid food during her hospital stay.
“We lied as we fe-ared Sasikala,” he said at the meeting and apologised to the people for lying to them.
On their part, the Sasikala family has been putting up a brave front on the issue saying they were ready for any kind of probe into Jayalalithaa’s issue.
Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran on Monday claimed he will submit a video recording of Jayalalithaa watching television at Apollo Hospitals to any inquiry commission or agency that would go into her death.
