Chennai: Opposition parties led by the DMK on Sunday pressed for a CBI probe into the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, citing a state minister’s recent remarks that AIADMK leaders “lied” about Jayalalithaa’s health during her hospitalisation last year.
The Opposition called for “unravelling the mystery” behind the death of the AIADMK supremo, who passed away on December 5 last after 75 days of hospitalisation.
Forest minister Dindigul C. Srinivasan, whose comments about the “lies” have drawn flak from the opposition, sought to make light of Mr Stalin’s demand by stating “it was not new for him to seek such a probe”.
Addressing a public meeting in Madurai on September 22, Srinivasan had claimed that party leaders had “lied” about Jayalalithaa’s health, fearing her aide V.K. Sasikala, and sought the pardon of the public.
“No one was allowed to meet the late chief minister. Whoever came, would be briefed by Sasikala’s relatives that she was all right,” he had said. “We were afraid of Sasikala at that time and lied about Jayalalithaa’s health condition,” he had claimed.
As the Opposition latched onto his statement, the Tamil Nadu minister said they (AIADMK leaders) conveyed to the outside world whatever was told to them by Sasikala.
“Sasikala and her family would tell us she (Jayalalithaa) ate idly, had coffee, was given sweets, did that and this... we told what she (Sasikala) said,” he said. Speaking to reporters at his native Dindigul, Mr Srinivasan said, “I do not care even if a CBI inquiry is ordered”.
The minister also urged sidelined AIADMK leader and Sasikala’s nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran to release “video proof” of the treatment given to Jayalalithaa as being claimed by him.
The enquiry commission ordered by chief minister K. Palaniswami in the matter would soon start its probe, and Dhinakaran would have to submit whatever proof he had in his possession on the matter before the commission, hke said.
DMK working president M K Stalin stated that it was also the “responsibility of the Centre” to get to the bottom of the “mystery”.
“Since the central government had assisted in the treatment of Jayalalithaa, it has a responsibility to unravel the mystery surrounding her death. Therefore, using its authority, it should immediately order a CBI probe into the matter,” he said.
