'The Opportunistic And Unprincipled Politics Of Thiru Karunanidhi...'

The text of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's statement 

Thiru Karunanidhi has created a new Olympic record of sorts in somersaults with his total volte-face on the arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal by the Tamil Nadu police on 11.11.2004, and his statement on the encounter in which the dreaded forest brigand Veerappan was eliminated by the Tamil Nadu police on 18.10.2004.

Thiru Karunanidhi rushed to warmly congratulate the Government of Tamil Nadu for the fair and impartial action taken in effecting the arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal in connection with the murder of Thiru Sankararaman on 3.9.2004. He also congratulated the Special Task Force of the Tamil Nadu police for its spectacular achievement in eliminating Veerappan in a daring operation on 18.10.2004.

Statement in Assembly

Full facts on the encounter leading to the elimination of Veerappan were immediately furnished to the media by Thiru Vijay Kumar, Chief of the Special Task Force. I had also given a detailed statement on 18.10.2004 followed by a press conference on 19.10.2004 setting out all the facts. On 17.11.2004, I had given a detailed statement on the floor of the Assembly under Rule 110 setting out the complete facts relating to the arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. Thus, all the details of both the elimination of Veerappan and the arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal are in the public domain. Yet Thiru Karunanidhi is now indulging in an exercise of floating preposterous and unbelievable new theories.

On 22.11.2004, Thiru Karunanidhi has amazed everyone with a somersault of such proportions that it can never be bettered. This is typical of the opportunistic and unprincipled politics of Thiru Karunanidhi. Wherever he perceives his self-interest, he will not hesitate to completely turn upside down his stance and retract his own words. His statement on 22.11.2004 on the arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal and the STF operation in which Veerappan was eliminated smacks of this unbridled opportunism calculated to mislead the people and seek a toehold for his own political gain. How else can one explain this 180 degrees flip-flop, defying political gravity, saying on the first day of the arrest that the action was fair and impartial and on 22.11.2004 claiming that he has misgivings over the arrest and the treatment meted out to Sri Jayendra SaraswathiSwamigal?

We do not have to search afar for the reasons for this extremely unusual behaviour of complimenting my Government in the first place and then diametrically changing his position in quick time. I was myself surprised at how a totally antagonistic person like Thiru Karunanidhi could even think of complimenting my Government for the fair and impartial action in effecting the arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. This was too good to be true. But now, true to type, Thiru Karunanidhi has neatly done this somersault and gone back on his words because his only mission is to somehow besmirch the fair name of my Government.

People will not be fooled

After his initial reaction complimenting my Government, he has now started his usual game of Goebbelsian misinformation, since it is not politically advantageous for him to be even remotely seen to be complimenting my Government. How best to resile from such a position? `Start some speculative theories and create confusion' seems to be the new game of Thiru Karunanidhi! The people of Tamil Nadu will not be fooled by these double somersault gimmicks indulged in by Thiru Karunanidhi.

Suddenly Thiru Karunanidhi has queried as to why it has taken the police two months to effect the arrest and what had transpired in between. In The Hindu dated November 23, 2004, Thiru Karunanidhi has been reported to have asked the question as to why there was a two-month delay in the Acharya's arrest. `What happened during that period and what is the reason for the delay,' Thiru Karunanidhi is reported to have asked. The New Indian Express dated November 23, 2004, has reported that Thiru Karunanidhi has raised the query as to why the AIADMK Government took a full two and half months after the murder to effect the arrest. `What happened in the meantime? Why the delay,' Thiru Karunanidhi is reported to have asked.

This is a totally irresponsible and malicious statement. What does Thiru Karunanidhi mean by asking such a question? It is too much for a person like Thiru Karunanidhi to cast such baseless aspersions and this sickening practice has to cease. A person like Thiru Karunanidhi, who has been in [the] Government, should know that a complex murder case involving hired contract killers will take a minimum of two months to even get close to the real accused. He himself has stated, immediately after the arrest, that investigation would take this length of time. Now he has raised doubts about the time taken and has also speculated about what might have transpired in between.

This is the kind of cheap politics that Thiru Karunanidhi habitually indulges in. The culprits in this heinous crime sought to throw the Tamil Nadu police off-track by arranging a red herring in the form of surrender of some persons not concerned with the crime. It is only after the Tamil Nadu police interrogated these persons that it was possible to trace the real culprits. As soon as it was clear that this was a false surrender, the Tamil Nadu police very quickly closed-in on the gang and obtained clear information leading to Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. When these are the irrefutable facts of the case, why is it that suddenly Thiru Karunanidhi has started having doubts?

Crocodile tears

Thiru Karunanidhi has suddenly shown great concern for the welfare of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal in prison and is shedding crocodile tears for him. When the arrest was made, Thiru Karunanidhi displayed undisguised glee and unconcealed joy at the discomfiture of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. I had in my statement in the Assembly on 17.11.2004 clearly indicated that my Government had taken this action on the principle that all are equal before law and not with the expectation that there would be appreciation if he was arrested; nor fearing any condemnation if he was not arrested.

Thiru Karunanidhi has made a wild allegation that Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal has not been given proper treatment. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal himself has stated that he has been treated well. In fact, he has been treated with respect and dignity, befitting a religious head of his stature. There is absolutely no issue about his treatment during the arrest and thereafter. When this is so, suddenly Thiru Karunanidhi has come out with this bizarre statement that Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal has not been treated well. Is it that Thiru Karunanidhi has a different agenda of fomenting communal passions when none exist on this issue? Thiru Karunanidhi can always be expected to fish in troubled waters.

The Hindu dated November 23, 2004, has reported that when asked if there was a political motive to the arrest, Thiru Karunanidhi said many personal issues were involved. He is reported to have said that there were `some personal matters' between the Sankaracharya and the Chief Minister. `One cannot forget that,' Thiru Karunanidhi is reported to have said. The New Indian Express dated November 23, 2004 has reported that Thiru Karunanidhi said that there had been several personal dealings between the Acharya and the Chief Minister, implying that the arrest was only a fall-out of such dealings. What does Thiru Karunanidhi mean by "personal dealings?" Let him spell out what these "personal dealings" are. Is he also going to say that I have had personal dealings with Veerappan? Thiru Karunanidhi's malicious statement attributing personal dealings as the motive behind the arrest of the pontiff is the height of absurdity... It is malicious, nonsensical and outrageous to cast aspersions of a personal motive in a matter connected with a heinous crime, where the State law and order machinery has been doing its rightful duty. Thiru Karunanidhi's statements are a testimony to his qualities of double-speak, hypocrisy and malice and his ability to play double games. The public are not blind to the fact that it was Thiru Karunanidhi who had instigated his party to go on a hunger fast urging the arrest of the real culprits involved in the Sankararaman murder case. Today, the very same Thiru Karunanidhi is attributing personal motives to me for having impartially discharged my duty. Such outrageous statements casting aspersions on my discharge of duties as the Chief Minister of the State will not be taken lightly and legal action will be taken against all those making such irresponsible and malicious statements.

M.M. Joshi

Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi of the BJP has lost his balance and is now coming out with wild statements which are totally in the realm of feverish imagination. He has apparently been carried away by his religious sentiments and has stopped making objective comments. He is reported to have said that there is a motive behind the arrest and that I had ordered it as I was greatly angered by a statement made by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal about my "arrogance" immediately after the Parliamentary election results. This is the most ridiculous statement that anyone can make. I was not even aware that he had made any such statement. I wish to categorically state that this is the first time I am hearing about such a statement made by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. It is most farfetched and ludicrous to even speculate that a press statement could provoke such action. It should never be forgotten that a ghastly murder was the only basis on which the arrest was made. This statement of Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi deserves to be treated with contempt and ought to be dismissed outright.

Further, some political personalities and a section of the media have made it a habit to criticise me on a daily basis, but I have not tried to take revenge against any of them. I have always been open to such criticism and respected the tenets of democracy. Having been in public life for 22 years, I am accustomed to being criticised regularly and I have taken the most carping criticism in my stride. It is therefore, most ridiculous to state that certain comments made about me by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal and said to have been published in certain sections of the media constitute the motive behind the action which has been taken in the course of investigation of a most heinous and brutal crime.

No takeover of Mutt

Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi has launched into a diatribe alleging the motive behind the arrest is a plan to take over the Kanchi Mutt. I have made a categorical statement in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on November 17, 2004 on this issue. I had stated that as far as my Government is concerned, it has the highest regard for the Kanchi Mutt, which has an ancient and reputable tradition. I had also indicated that a few people are insinuating that the Government should take over the administration of the Kanchi Mutt in the present situation. I had then categorically clarified that my Government did not have any intention of taking over the administration of the Kanchi Mutt. When this is the position and I have already clearly stated my Government's stand, it is shocking that Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi has made such reckless statements without an iota of truth.

Mr. Ashok Singhal of the VHP has made all kinds of wild and fanciful statements attributing motives to the arrest. While I can empathise with his religious fervour, this cannot overwhelm the rule of law, which my Government has sought to uphold. Mr. Ashok Singhal obviously greatly carried away by his agenda, should refrain from making such wild allegations. He has referred to some deal relating to a hospital near Chennai. This is totally absurd and patently untrue. This fabricated story has been put out in a desperate diversionary bid to deflect attention from the heinous and barbaric crime that has been committed.

Certain sections of the media have been propagating that Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal was advising me on several key issues till recently when a rift occurred, following which, out of personal vendetta, I had directed his arrest. I wish to state that I have visited the Mutt a few times, and paid my respects to Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, as the head of the respected and revered Kanchi Mutt. At no point of time, did I seek any advice from Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal.

Arrest, a necessity

First and foremost, in this issue relating to the arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the Tamil Nadu police carefully assessed the evidence collected and it was only when they were thoroughly convinced of the role of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal that they proceeded to effect the arrest. There can be absolutely no two opinions about the fact that the decision to effect the arrest was made after great deliberation on all aspects. The utmost care was taken to ensure that, when the arrest was effected, there was no semblance of any disrespect. In fact, he was treated with extreme courtesy and dignity befitting his status as the head of a revered religious Mutt. The arrest became a compulsive necessity in the context of the overwhelming evidence pointing to the involvement of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. I wish to say that the investigation should be allowed to have a free run and the law should be allowed to take its natural course. The best course of action is to let the investigation and the judicial process move forward, upholding the rule of law. Attempts by some organisations and individuals to politicise the issue should completely be eschewed."