Jayalalithaa's video released with eye on bypoll, says AIADMK

CHENNAI: Ruling AIADMK on Wednesday accused the V. K. Sasikala family of “bringing disrepute” to late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa by releasing a video of her sipping juice in her bed at Apollo Hospitals and said it was done only with an eye on Thursday’s bypoll to R K Nagar.

Fisheries minister D. Jayakumar and law minister C. Ve Shanmugam minced no words in accusing Sasikala family of being the reason for all troubles that Jayalalithaa encountered in her life. In separate interviews to media, they questioned the timing of the release of the video and decried “conspiracy.”

The ministers also sought to know why the video, which was shot sometime in November, 2016 when Jayalalithaa was moved to a special room from the ICU of Apollo Hospitals, was not submitted to the Justice A. Arumughaswamy Commission probing into the circumstances that led to hospitalisation and further treatment of the former chief minister. 

 “This demeaning act is a planned conspiracy by the Sasikala family to bring disrepute to Amma’s fame and image. The release of the video has been done keeping in mind the R K Nagar bypoll. What was the need to release it a day before the bypoll? Why was it not handed over to the Commission?” Jayakumar asked.

Maintaining that AIADMK cadre and supporters will not accept release of the video that showed Jayalalithaa in her hospital bed, Jayakumar said the party-led government constituted the inquiry commission to bring out the truth in the death of the late chief minister after several doubts was raised by many people.

“Why did not the Dhinakaran camp did not approach the panel constituted by the state government to probe the death? It was done with an intention to influence tomorrow’s R K Nagar bypoll,” he said.  Jayakumar also sought to know who shot the video and if there was any security “breach” since the late chief minister was under Z plus NSG security cover.