MK Stalin denies rift with Karunanidhi

Chennai: DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin on Saturday  denied any kind of rift with party leader and father M. Karunanidhi and said State finance minister O. Panneerselvam, who has made the charge should not behave like a ‘third-rate politician’.

He was reacting to the statement of Panneerselvam that the Leader of Opposition did not give the name of Karunanidhi in the list of DMK members to be seated in the Assembly, due to the clash between father and son. Stalin’s denial comes even while Karunanidhi keeps silent leaving his son to defend himself.

In an uncharacteristic, hard-hitting statement, the DMK treasurer said, “Panneerselvam has resorted to creating confusion in his family and party, inappropriate for the post he is holding”.

Stalin charged the minister with issuing a statement written by someone and described media reports about clashes between himself and his father as wrong.

The attempt of AIADMK to create confusion in the DMK would not succeed, he asserted. Admitting that the name of Karunanidhi was not found in the list of DMK members to be allocated seats in the Assembly, Stalin said, “I had in mind the idea of giving a separate letter to the Speaker on allocation of seat to Karunanidhi according to his health. So, his name was not mentioned in the list given by me. There is no separate reason for leaving his name as stated by Panneerselvam”.

Later, a letter was submitted to the Speaker through DMK whip Chakrapani on seating arrangements for Karunanidhi, he added. Denying the minister's charge that Stalin had snatched the Leader of Opposition post from Karunanidhi, the DMK treasurer said there could not be a more contemptible allegation. The post of opposition leader was given by Karunanidhi, he said and pointed out that the DMK leader announced himself as the floor leader in the previous time too.