Will give video of Jayalalithaa to probe agency, says TTV Dhinakaran

Chennai: The rebel AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Monday claimed he has a video of Jayalalithaa watching TV during treatment at the Apollo Hospital and he would produce it as “evidence” to any inquiry commission or agency probing her death. The video, shot by his aunt V.K. Sasikala, was not released so far in order to protect her dignity as the (then) chief minister was dressed in a nightie, Mr Dhinakaran told reporters at his Adyar residence here.

He said Jayalalithaa was always conscious about her image and maintained dignity in public life, so much so, she would never allow herself to be seen by outsiders when she was in informal attire such as a night gown.

“Amma had lost a lot of weight and she was in her nightie when the video was shot. Only we in the family had seen her in nightie. Even when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited Amma following her accident in 1989, she had covered herself fully. She always maintained that dignity,” TTV said.

He was justifying the non-release of the Apollo video despite the persistent questions raised by Opposition parties and even rivals within the AIADMK on the “mystery” shrouding Jayalalithaa’s treatment and allegations that Sasikala denied access even to top leaders visiting the hospital to see the ailing CM.

Strangely, TTV did not mind now admitting he had contemplated using the video to help his campaign at the R.K. Nagar by-election (April 12, cancelled by Election Commission following allegations of high corruption of voters) and said aunt Sasikala did not clear his proposal, saying Amma’s nightie was loose on her due to weight loss. But his aunt has now given him the green signal to pass on the video to any probe commission/ agency, he said.

The video, shot after Amma was shifted from the ICU into the VIP ward, showed her watching TV, TTV said, adding that O. Panneerselvam as the Chief Minister of the day was bound to answer many questions on her death before the probe commission. This veiled threat, in a way, leaves wide open the ‘mystery’ element in Jaya’s treatment and death.

“We will hand over the video to the authorities or to a probe agency. We don’t want to release it now. If we release it, then there will be debates about its authenticity and we don’t want any controversy over the issue. We have nothing to hide; so we are ready to face any probe,” said the former MP who has been fighting a battle against OPS-EPS after the AIADMK general council, on a mission to rid the party of the Sasikala family, removed him from its primary membership.

“Any commission probing the matter should be headed by a senior sitting judge and not a retired one. The wrong campaign against Chinnamma (Sasikala) does not exist anymore among people and therefore they are making all kinds of attempts,” TTV alleged.

TTV said CM Palaniswamy had made the promise of judicial commission (to probe Jaya death) only to ‘convince’ OPS for the merger. Expulsion of the Sasikala family and instituting probe into Amma’s death were the main pre-conditions laid by OPS camp for the merger.