Protection for Stalin: Jaya questions timing of such demand

Chennai: With DMK approaching the Centre seeking protection for party chief M Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin, AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said the timing of such a demand and ongoing "confusions" in the party's first family hinted the threat came from suspended Madurai leader M K Alagiri.

Jayalalithaa recalled Karunanidhi's statement to the media about Alagiri's remarks about Stalin's "death" -- that he will
die in three or four months, and that the DMK chief had not stopped with that, asking party M P TR Baalu to write to the Prime Minister seeking protection to Stalin.

J Jayalalithaa. AFP image

There were reports that Baalu had claimed threat to Stalin's life from LTTE, religious fundamentalists and political rivals, she said in Tamil Nadu assembly, adding the party had sought Z Plus category security for Stalin.

"With thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils besides LTTE being killed in the war, a threat from LTTE is non-existent. Without mentioning anybody, it says about threat from some religious fundamentalists. This is also imaginary, she said. "Finally, it says there is threat from many political rivals but has not mentioned who they are. Comparing the
timing of the letter and the confusions in Karunanidhi's family, it is a tacit mention that the threat is from Alagiri," she claimed.

Alagiri was recently suspended from the party as relations between him and his father and DMK chief Karunanidhi soured, especially in the wake of his differences with Stalin.

Questioning Karunanidhi for approaching the Centre for his son's security, she asked what was his stand on the issues of DMK leader T Kiruttinan's murder and the death of three employees of a Tamil daily run by the Maran brothers when the newspaper office was set on fire over a survey in that daily putting Stalin ahead of Alagiri as Karunanidhi's political heir apparent.

Jayalalithaa was making the remarks while rebutting DMK's claim of bad law and order situation in the state, while recalling incidents in the previous DMK rule such as the law college violence besides others.

Her government was committed to maintaining law and order, she said, adding, various instances of crime had come down. The state was better placed when it came to comparing other states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh among others, the Chief Minister said.

PTI