Karunanidhi, who tried his best to shield Kanimozhi, broke down after hearing the news of the arrest of his favourite daughter in 2G scam.
Terming Kanimozhi the “active brain” behind operations of Kalaignar TV, the CBI’s supplementary chargesheet also makes indirect reference to the Niira Radia tapes.
The CBI referred to “strong association” of Kanimozhi with A Raja in “official/political matters”. The agency claimed that Kanimozhi “actively pursued with the intermediaries and DMKheadquarters the matter regarding reappointment of accused A Raja as minister of communications and information technology in 2009, which clearly establishes the strong association of accused Ms Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and accused A Raja in the official/political matters”.
Several conversations in the Radia tapes show how Kanimozhi was actively involved in getting Raja appointed as telecom minister. Radia is already listed as a witness in the CBI chargesheet in the 2G scam case.
The supplementary chargesheet backed the statement of Aseervatham Achary, a former additional private secretary of Raja, who had claimed, “A Raja was interested in the follow-up work for getting clearance to Kalaignar TV from ministry of information and technology. She had frequent visits to camp office of A Raja and A Raja also used to visit her residence at South Avenue frequently. She is also very close to A Raja in regard to political work of DMK. They used to talk over phone frequently.”
Achary had said that “A Raja also tried to get Kalaignar TV on Tata Sky platform for which he was taking the help of Niira Radia”.
In its chargesheet on Monday, CBI said, “Accused Kanimozhi was initial director of the company (Kalaignar) and resigned only for the reason that her clearance from MHA was pending and could take time and delay in the matter of launching Kalaignar TV.” The chargesheet narrated the role of A Raja in getting Kalaignar TV registered and also trying to get it in the Tata Sky bouquet from June 2007 onwards.
It then focuses on the supporting role played by Kanimozhi saying she had been in regular touch with A Raja regarding launching of Kalaignar TV. Officials said they had scrutinized the Radia tapes which indicated that Kanimozhi was interested in retaining Raja as Union telecom minister and this formed one of the main grounds for her being named in the chargesheet.
“She actively pursued with intermediaries and DMK headquarters the matter regarding reappointment of accused A Raja as minister of communications and information technology in 2009″ which as per the CBI clearly establishes the s
At 2.30pm when the news broke, no one could have been more devastated than former chief minister M Karunanidhi. As the news flashed on TV channels that Kanimozhi will be arrested and sent to Tihar Jail, the DMK patriarch broke down, sobbing. Kanimozhi is his favourite daughter and he had once tried hard to ensure she didn’t enter politics. Today, as he grabbed the import of the development, Karunanidhi couldn’t control his emotions.
“If you have a daughter and if she is punished for no mistake, how will you feel? That’s the way I feel,” he told reporters, a tinge of sadness evident on his face. When reporters sought his view on the court order, Karunanidhi said tersely, “It is the court’s decision. I can’t give my views on that.”
Earlier in the day, about 11.30am after the court adjourned proceedings, Karunanidhi, who was at his Gopalapuram residence, rushed to his CIT Colony bungalow where his daughter lives. Soon, senior leaders, including his younger son MK Stalin, trooped in, looking sombre. The court decision has come as a major blow for Karunanidhi and his DMK, just recovering from a major debacle in the assembly polls.
Anxiously awaiting news from the court, Karunanidhi even skipped his usual meagre lunch of sambar rice and curd. Later, he was too upset to swallow even a morsel. “He was very upset. When he got the news, he just burst into tears. We have never seen ‘thalaivar’ breaking down. He refused to speak to anyone for a while. Then, ‘thalapathi’ (as M K Stalin is referred to by partymen) and some other seniors tried to console him,” a senior DMK leader told TOI.READMORE
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