Edappadi K Palaniswami harps on Sadiq Batcha death to target MK Stalin

Chennai: As the campaigning intensified for the April 18 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and the main rivals are sparing no blades to draw blood, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday harped yet again on the mysterious death of the 2-G case accused Sadiq Batcha at his Chennai residence on March 16, 2011and sought to link it to the DMK president M.K. Stalin.

To target the DMK rival, the CM grabbed as his potent weapon a newspaper advertisement from Batcha’s widow on his death anniversary last week, where she had used a Tamil proverb, 'Kooda Nadpu, Kedaai Mudiyum' (undesirable friendship ends in disaster) and told the audience it was common knowledge who she was referring to. The CM campaigned in Central Chennai (Sam Paul, PMK candidate) and South Chennai (Dr J Jayavardhan, AIADMK).

Batcha was found dead in his house and the then (DMK) government had closed the case as suicide, recalled the CM, adding there were reports that the death happened soon after the man, a close aide of then telecom minister A Raja, had told the CBI investigators that one of the prime accused in the 2-G case, Shahid Balwa of Mumbai-based Swan Telecom had met Stalin and he would reveal more details at his next session with the Central probe agency.

CM Palaniswami said some people damaged the car of Batcha's widow after her advertisement and her life came under threat. Turning his guns at the DMK's candidate Dayanidhi Maran (Central Chennai), the CM said the billionaire businessman, who owned many TV channels and a sprawling house in post Boat Club area, is an accused in the CBI case relating to the theft of BSNL phone lines for use by Sun TV.

“He is contesting in the election not to serve the people but to save all that wealth he has accumulated”, the CM said.

He said his two candidates were down-to-earth persons keen on serving the people, whereas Dayanidhi Maran made his public appearance only at election time.

The CM said his Amma Government had delivered on all its promises, including elevating Tamil Nadu in healthcare sector and making Chennai the healthcare capital of India. The huge CCTV coverage of the city ensured better prevention and detection of crime and soon there would be electric buses plying in Chennai to drastically reduce pollution, he said.