No dad can bear to hear such words: M Karunanidhi

Chennai: Lashing out at his elder son and former DMK or­ganising secretary (south zone) M.K. Alagiri for violating party code of cond­uct, DMK president M. Ka­runandihi said on Tue­sday that Alagiri had ev­en said that party treasurer and his younger sibling M.K. Stalin would die in the next three or four mo­nths.

In an apparent escalat­ion of in-party rivalry be­t­­ween DMK patriarch Ka­runandhi and his Mad­urai-based son, Karu­na­n­idhi told reporters that Alagiri had of late forgotten that he was a party me­mber holding a critical position and made an­n­ouncements that led to erroneous consequences.

Alagiri was earlier susp­ended from the party on Ja­nuary 24 for allegedly indulging in anti-party ac­tivities. It is widely bel­ieved that action was ta­ken against him for openly expressing his opposition to a DMK-DMDK al­liance for the Lok Sabha polls.

“In DMK, only the president, general secretary or treasurer of the party can announce decisions taken by the party’s exec­u­tive general council. But Alagiri has been issuing statements on behalf of the party that led to wr­ong political consequ­en­ces,” Karunanidhi said.

Pointing out that Ala­giri had always nurtured a long-term, unreasonab­le hatred against party tr­e­asurer Stalin, Kalaignar said the animo­sity re­ac­hed a high point on Ja­nuary 24 when he ba­rged into the former’s house early in the morning and awakened him from sleep to complain about Stalin.

“The unpleasant, hateful words that he used ag­ainst Stalin made by bl­ood boil and stopped my heart. He yelled out that Stalin would die in the ne­xt three or four months. No father can bear to hear such words about his son. I bore it only as the leader of a political party,” Kar­u­n­anidhi said.

Mocking at Alagiri’s ea­rlier statement that he had gone to meet his fat­her only to seek justice for disciplinary action ta­ken by the party against his friends, Kalaignar as­ked if anyone would go to his party leader’s home at 6 or 7 am in the morning se­­eking justice?

“Police have been asked to take action against D­MK Madurai district secretary Moorthy under the PCR Act. As the party le­ader, I investigated the ma­tter and punished him. How can that be wrong?” the DMK patriarch asked.

When asked if he would rei­nstate Alagiri if he apologised, Karunanidhi said, “Alagiri has to an­swer the question.”

Stalin supporters burn alagiri effigies

Chennai: Following the outburst of  DMK chief Karunanidhi against his son Alagiri on Tuesday, supporters of an­other son Stalin, burnt eff­igies of Alagiri in Che­nnai and suburban areas.

Groups of DMK men sh­outed slogans against Al­agiri and set his effigies on fire at  Valluvarkottam, Eldams Road, Red Hills and many other places in Tambaram and surrounding areas. Karunanidhi in a press conference had accused Alagiri, who is suspended from the party, that he had abused Stalin. “Alagiri also talked about Stalin’s death in three mo­nths,” Karunanidhi said.
Posters appeared in so­me parts of the city conde­mning Alagiri for threatening Ka­runanidhi and thus risking his life. 

Karuna’s statement triggers cyber flutter

Chennai: The DMK patriach’s startling announcement on Tu­esday that Alagiri had said Stalin would die in three to four months created a furore in social media with several prominent citizens and common folk coming down heavily on the family rivalry in the Dravidian major. 

The Twitterati fraternity even wondered if this was a fight over 2G money.

No­ted media personality Pri­tish Nandy in his tweet sa­id, “What a charming family! Karunanidhi clai­ms th­at his son Alagiri to­ld him that his brother Stalin will die in 3 months. Fight over 2G money?”

While DMK supporters and fans of the veteran po­litician lamented the ab­ysmal depths to which the party had plunged of late due to sibling rivalry, ma­ny Twitter users even wo­ndered if Alagiri had ma­de just an observation or a veiled threat.

For instance, Tw­it­ter us­er SekarA wonders, “Does this mean that St­alin wo­uld die a natural de­ath in three months or would he be killed?”

Other users even sugg­ested that the DMK president should lodge a police complaint against Alagiri as the statement should be interpreted as a death threat.

However, political obse­rvers in the state rem­ained cynical of the move by Karunanidhi and pointed out that it could all be a ploy by the veteran politician to garner limelight as well as send feelers to party cadres not to stand by Alagiri.

“We have seen this many times in the past. After the storm passes, Karuna will gladly embrace his prodigal son as he has done often in the past. It is just a gimmick and we have to wait and see what was the intended outcome,” says a BJP leader in the state.