'Mr. Karunanidhi Has Always Been A Man Of Two Faces'

The former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, was arrested atthe Oliver Road residence of his second wife during the early hours of Saturday,30-6-2001 on charges of corruption. Selectively edited video footage of thearrest were telecast over Mr. Murasoli Maran's TV channel, Sun TV, withinminutes of the arrest. The channel repeatedly played a three-minute editedversion of the three-hour drama and alleged that the police, when enforcing thearrest, had exceeded their brief and even assaulted the former Chief Minister intotal disregard of his stature and age. They went a step further and virtuallyincited violence in the State by calling upon viewers to register their protest.This by itself violates the Cable TV Act and Sun TV is liable to have itslicence cancelled. But I believe in the freedom of the press. And as such, Ihave refrained from taking such precipitous action against Sun TV, only in thelarger interest of a free press, which is one of the pillars of a workingdemocracy.

That most of the news purveyed by Sun TV in this connection was false andmotivated is clear from the fact that they even repeatedly aired a storyclaiming that Mr. Karunanidhi's first wife, Mrs. Dayalu Ammal, and daughter, Ms.Selvi, had been arrested, which is far from the truth.

The official footage of the arrest drama, released to the media on Sunday bythe Chennai City Commissioner of Police, told a different story altogether fromthe version put out by Sun TV. Quite naturally, these contradictions have raiseda lot of questions in the minds of the people and the media. I shall now try topose some of these questions myself and give you the answers to the same:

On the contrary, I have the highest regard for the media. I would rather saythat for some reason, it is the Press that has chosen to take a confrontationiststand. I would like to elaborate on this subject.

The media themselves appear to be a little confused about what press freedomreally means. For example, when Mr. Suresh, a reporter of Sun TV, accompaniedMr. Ponmudi to a Civil Supplies godown in Villupuram where they effected anillegal entry into the premises by breaking open the lock, he was arrested bythe local police and kept in custody for interrogation. The offence is one ofcriminal tresspass. And this was not being done by the reporter concerned in thecourse of his duties as an investigative reporter. On the contrary, he was anaccomplice and a witness to an illegal activity of a political person and assuch there was no justification to raise the banner of press freedom.

The following day, at the Secretariat, when I was told that representativesof the Reporters' Guild wanted to meet me personally and present a memorandum, Ireadily agreed. But before that, press persons assembled at the Secretariatchose to stage an ugly demonstration, waylay my convoy and conduct a road blockagitation, totally impervious to the difficulties and hardship it might cause tothe public.

Is this press freedom, if I may ask? On the day I assumed power, the police,in the interest of security, stopped the traffic for a few minutes for my convoyto pass. The same press persons raised hell when they met me and I immediatelyinstructed the Commissioner of Police that there was to be no more stoppage oftraffic for my sake. This is being followed to this day. Such being the case,how do these same mediapersons condone the difficulties they have caused to thepublic by their own road block agitation? Why these double standard?

You say that I am anti-press. Yet, within days of my assuming power, myGovernment opened the doors of the State Assembly wide open to the media. Today,Tamil Nadu can boast of being perhaps the only State where the people can seefirst-hand what their elected representatives are saying and doing in theAssembly. Unfortunately, no journalist, media house or media organisation hasthought it necessary to compliment my Government for such openness andtransparency and for giving such a big boost to press freedom!

Why, even in the Karunanidhi arrest, I am sure you will appreciate the factthat the camera crew of Sun TV were freely allowed to film the entire sequence.The police were well within their rights to have prevented the camera crew fromentering the place. Even after the event, they could well have confiscated therecorded tape on the grounds that it was material evidence. Yet none of theseacts was done. This is a clear indication that my government is committed to afree press.

What is the justification for the arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi?

Mr. Stalin, as Mayor of the Corporation of Chennai, has committed graveirregularities in the construction of 9 fly-overs in Chennai city at a cost ofRs. 193 crores. Documentary evidence exists to the effect that over Rs. 12crores have been swindled by Mr. Stalin and his associates. There could possiblybe much more undocumented siphoning of funds. Corruption of this scale in asingle deal was possible only because the State Government headed by Mr.Stalin's father, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, colluded to give the Mayor unlimitedfinancial powers.

In the first place, the concept of constructing fly-overs had emanated fromthe Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority as part of their Traffic ActionPlan. This plan had been prepared by a private team at a total outlay of Rs.366.05 crores and included the construction of 12 fly-overs and the widening ofNapier bridge. A High-Level Traffic Improvement Committee was constituted underthe Member Secretary of the CMDA to oversee the implementation of this project.When Mr. Stalin took over as Mayor, he was confronted by two problems. First,the construction of fly-overs was not under his purview. Secondly, under theMCMC Act, 1919, the Mayor had to refer any financial transaction over Rs. 7.5lakhs to the State Government for approval.

With great speed, an Ordinance was promulgated in December, 1996, amendingthe MCMC Act, and prescribing a monetary limit of Rs. 50 lakhs for sanctioningestimates and award of contracts by the Mayor. In the same amendment, aprovision was made for prescribing rules for approval of contracts beyond Rs. 50lakhs. This Ordinance became Act 22 of 1996. Subsequently, rules were framedprescribing that contracts exceeding Rs. 50 lakhs shall be approved by theGovernment.

Later, through GO Ms No. 301 of the Housing and Urban Development departmentdated September 4, 1997, piloted at the behest of the then Minister forTransport, Mr. Ponmudi, and approved by the then Chief Minister, Mr. Karunanidhi,the Mayor, in other words, Mr. Karunanidhi's son, Mr. Stalin, was made thechairman of the Traffic Improvement Committee. As such, the construction of fly-overs, which the CMDA had proposed, was brought directly under his control.Thereafter, in March 1998, an amendment was made to the MCMC Act by which theclause relating to the Mayor's financial powers was deleted altogether. As aresult, the Mayor was given unbridled control over financial transactionswithout the necessity for clearances from the State Government, even if it washis father's! What followed were kickbacks in the awarding of contracts,over-invoicing of materials cost, etc., resulting in documented siphoning offunds to the tune of Rs. 12 crores and undocumented corruption of several more.

This was Mr. Karunanidhi's role - that of a facilitator in the corruptactivities of his son. All these facilities were extended to the Chennai Mayor,Mr. Stalin, only because he happened to be Karunanidhi's son. The Mayors ofMadurai, Coimbatore, etc., do not enjoy such powers. And it was for makinginquiries into this that Mr. Karunanidhi was arrested.

The police team headed by DIG Mohammad Ali followed all norms of decency.They made a polite entry into the ground floor of the house. They patientlyexplained the purpose of their visit to the servants who opened the door. Theytried to communicate with Mr. Karunanidhi or his family members who wereupstairs over the intercom. Only after eliciting no reply, did they go upupstairs. Again, they spent nearly ten minutes knocking at the door which leadsto the hall upstairs. Only after eliciting no reply did they enter the hall.Thereafter, they knocked at the bedroom door of Mr. Karunanidhi and Mrs. RajathiAmmal. They communicated with Mrs. Rajathi Ammal through the closed door. Theywaited till the door was opened. They waited further till Mr. Karunanidhisummoned them inside the room. Even here, the women police preceded the men.Thereafter, they made clear in Tamil, the grounds of the arrest. Mr. Karunanidhireadily agreed to accompany them to the offices of the CB-CID. All this comesout very clearly in the police video. When Karunanidhi claimed at his press meetthat he was not informed about the reason for his arrest, he was lying.

Mr. Karunanidhi and Mrs. Rajathi Ammal were given enough time to freshen upand they emerged a few minutes later smiling and in good humour. As such, therewas never any question of the police having exceeded their limits or misbehavedin any way. It is to be noted that the police entered Mr. Karunanidhi's roomonly at his invitation. There was no question of their breaking open the doorand barging into the room. Therefore, to say that the police broke open thebedroom door, barged into the room, beat up Mr. Karunanidhi and forcibly draggedhim away is a total falsehood - but Karunanidhi himself has uttered thisshameful lie and almost all newspapers and TV channels in the country havereported this lie. The police video tapes clearly show that Mr. Karunanidhi, Mr.Maran, Mr. Baalu and Sun TV are deliberately propagating despicable lies.

The video footage taken on two separate cameras of the police clearly showsthat the amiable scenario in the residence of Mrs. Rajathi Ammal was vitiatedonly after the entry of the Union Minister, Mr. Murasoli Maran, and the Sun TVcamera crew. Thereafter a drama was enacted entirely for the benefit of thecameras. Mr. Maran and his son, Mr. Dayanidhi showered abuses on the policepersonnel. As DIG Mohammad Ali tried to guide Mr. Karunanidhi away from themelee, Mr. Maran physically assaulted Mr. Mohamad Ali in the eye forcing thepolice officer to stagger in pain. Mrs. Rajathi Ammal's driver, Mr. Sanjeevitook advantage of this confusion to push Mr. Karunanidhi into a chair. As Mr.Karunanidhi lost his balance, he was supported from behind by a uniformed policeofficer, who thereafter gently helped him away from the scene of confusion tothe waiting car outside.

Despite grave provocation by Mr. Murasoli Maran and his family members, thepolice acted with utmost restraint. While Mr. Maran and his family members weregoing amuck preventing police officials from discharging their duty and evenphysically assaulting them, women police officials guided Mrs. Rajathi Ammalaway from the thick of action to prevent her from sustaining any injury, just asMr. Karunanidhi was guided away by male officials.

Thereafter, Mr. Murasoli Maran along with another Central Minister, Mr. T. R.Baalu, barged into the offices of the Crime Branch CID by ramming his caragainst the closed iron gates, impervious to the danger to the life of policeguards standing at the gate.

Still later, when the police were escorting Mr. Karunanidhi to a waiting carto produce him before the Sessions Judge, Mr. Maran jumped into the back seatand refused to get out in total violation of all norms. Finally, he had to bebodily removed from the vehicle. In the process, the Union Minister rained blowson the heads of the policemen who were carrying him, and kicked them violently.

The repeated acts of defiance and open violence against policemen dischargingtheir duties, by a Union Minister is not only unbecoming of a person of hisstature but also an open invitation to criminals and anti-social elements toopenly attack police officials. Under these circumstances, the arrest of Mr.Murasoli Maran is perfectly justified and warranted.

If Mr. Maran's behaviour was uncouth, Mr. T. R. Baalu's was worse. At theoffice of the CB CID, Mr. T. R. Baalu abused police officials in the filthiestpossible terms. He threatened police officers on duty with dire consequences ifthey did allow him inside. He also orchestrated Mr. Maran's gate-crash. He brokeglass panes inside the office. Later, as police officials went to Mr. Maran'sGopalapuram residence in search of the absconding Stalin, Mr. T. R. Baalureached there and went about abusing the officials again. He assaulted thepolice officials and when they charged him with preventing them from dischargingtheir duties, he, along with Triplicane MLA, Mr. Hussein, fell on the ground ontheir own and then both started raising a cry that they had been assaulted bypolicemen.

Mr. Baalu's behaviour was not befitting his status as a Union Minister.Assaulting policemen during the discharge of their duty is a cognisable offenceand the police have a legal right to arrest such a person without a warrant.

Following this sort of behaviour, sufficient grounds exist for both theseUnion Ministers being dismissed on the basis of a complaint from the affectedpolicemen.

Police Manual Rules filed under the Indian Police Act, 1861 clearly stipulatethat a political leader with a mass following has necessarily to be arrestedonly after midnight, so as to prevent untoward public incidents andlaw-and-order problems from supporters and assorted hooligans.

Similarly there is a charge that it was illegal to arrest a person without awarrant. The law is very clear on this. The police have every right to make anarrest without a warrant in cases like this. No arrest warrant or search warrantis required when the police are dealing with a cognisable offence under Section41 of Cr.PC. And Mr. Karunanidhi, who has been Chief Minister four times, eachtime holding the Home portfolio, is well aware of this.

Yet Mr. Karunanidhi was decent enough to arrest you during the daytime...

He had no other alternative. The laws of this land are very clear that nowoman should be arrested and kept in police custody between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Mr. Karunanidhi was not manhandled at any stage. If he had been, he would nothave come out of his bedroom smiling at everyone. Today he claims that hesuffers shoulder pains because he was manhandled by the police and that he couldnot even lift his hand to write a letter to the Chief Secretary while in jail.In an interview to Outlook, published in the magazine's latest issue, Mr.Karunanidhi's daughter, Ms. Kanimozhi says she was worried about her father'sshoulder pain at the time of his arrest. In an interview given to Junior Vikatanat the time of elections, Ms. Kanimozhi has spoken about Karunanidhi's inabilityto wave his hand due to shoulder pain. This clearly means the shoulder painexisted even before the arrest and his family members were well aware of it. Toattribute this now to police manhandling is a blatant lie being told to evokepublic sympathy. Mr. Karunanidhi was in good health when interned in jail. Hewas in good health when discharged from jail. Well enough to drive almostdirectly to the party office and address an hour-long press meet! Two dayslater, he gets himself admitted in hospital! The people are not gullible tobelieve all these theatrics.

The Justice Raman Commission of Inquiry has been appointed to arrive at thetruth in view of the conflicting versions of what happened at the time of Mr.Karunanidhi's arrest. If Mr. Karunanidhi decides to cooperate with thisCommission of Inquiry, it will become binding on Sun TV to produce all their rawfootage of the incident just as the police video would be submitted. Then thetruth will come out that Sun TV had cleverly managed to evoke public sympathythrough selective editing and clever manipulation of visuals as a ploy to createa law and order problem in the State and to divert the attention of the people.It is because they know fully well that their version is wrong that they are notwilling to cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry.

Earlier, Mr. Karunanidhi had appointed Justice A. Raman as a one-man-commission to inquire into the fire accident in the Tirupattur ForestDepartment sandalwood godown. The Commission held that the DMK MLA concerned hadno connection with the alleged incident. When Mr. Karunanidhi could accept thisfinding, why does he oppose the appointment of the same Justice Raman to inquireinto this case?

Mr. Karunanidhi has always been a man of two faces. He keeps harping publiclythat he is willing to face any inquiry against him. But when an inquirycommission is instituted, he always runs away from it. Mr. Karunanidhi tried torun away from the Justice Sarkaria Commission constituted to inquire intocorruption charges against him. Another example is the case where the JusticePaul Commission report was stolen. A case was registered and in this connectionin the Madras High Court his attitude of non-cooperation was heard by JusticeSingaravelu. Karunanidhi, the fourth accused in the case, refused to cooperate.In fact, the learned Judge observed that ``Even if the 4th accused is brought toCourt through some coercive steps, it would be futile and the proposed remedywould only aggravate the malady...''