Jayalalithaa demands that CBI question Karunanidhi, family members

CHENNAI - AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa Saturday demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) interrogate Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and his family members to bring out the truth on appointment of cabinet ministers in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

“If the truth behind how the prime ministerial prerogative of appointing ministers was usurped by outsiders has to come out, Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi, Rajathi and all others who had maintained close contacts with (corporate lobbyist) Niira Radia should be interrogated by the CBI,” she said in a statement issued here.

Charging that the Tata group is no exception to the prevailing trend of politicised commercialism, Jayalalithaa said the tales in the Indian industry that “Tatas don’t bribe” and “Tatas don’t indulge in politics” belong to the past.

“And full credit for this sad transformation of India’s oldest and most reputed business house goes to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and his omnipresent, omnipotent family members,” she said.

Citing Ratan Tata’s letter to Karunanidhi in 2007, Jayalalithaa said the letter was all praises for A. Raja, Dayanidhi Maran’s successor as union communications minister.

According to her, the major revelation from the Tata’s letter to Karunanidhi is that Radia is well known to Karunanidhi.

“Given this familiarity, the various conversations that Radia had with different members of the Karunanidhi family cannot be dismissed lightly. They all knew that Radia was in a position to deliver what she took up,” Jayalalithaa