The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Probe Minister's charge against ex-MP: DMK

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Probe Minister's charge against ex-MP: DMK

Special Correspondent

Karunanidhi dismisses letter shown by Pollachi Jayaraman as "bogus"

CHENNAI: DMK president M. Karunanidhi has demanded an enquiry into the authenticity of letters displayed by Food and Cooperation Minister Pollachi V. Jayaraman on the floor of the Assembly on Tuesday, and into his charge that former DMK MP, the late C.T. Dandapani, had received money from a dismissed road mazdoor for getting him the job.

Mr. Karunanidhi termed the letter "bogus" and said Speaker K. Kalimuthu should order an enquiry to bring out the facts. He said Kathiravan who, the Minister had claimed, wrote the letter, was the brother of an AIADMK functionary, Balan, working in a fair price shop in Pollachi. He alleged that Balan had written it in the name of Kathiravan.

`Dandapani had no role'

Mr. Karunanidhi said Kathiravan was given the job based on a recommendation letter by the then Pollachi MP, Kandasami, to the Divisional Engineer, Highways, Coimbatore. The late Dandapani had no role.

Mr. Karunanidhi said there was a precedent for ordering an enquiry by the Speaker. Former Speaker K. Rajaram had conducted an enquiry into a charge made by a then AIADMK Minister against him on the floor of the House. After the probe, Mr. Rajaram ruled there was no basis for the charge.

Charge against Jayalalithaa

In a separate statement, Mr. Karunanidhi charged Chief Minister Jayalalithaa with trying to sabotage the Sethusamudram project.

Thanks to the efforts taken by various political parties, the project had gained momentum.

The channel would improve the State's commercial activities with other countries.

Any move from any quarters at this stage to stop the project would be detrimental, he added.

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