The Hindu : National : Suspicions strengthened : Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

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National

Suspicions strengthened : Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, NOV. 24. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M. Karunanidhi, said today that the events in the past few days, including the arrest of the Kanchi Sankaracharya in another case, only strengthened his suspicion that there were motives behind the arrest of the Acharya.

"Many questions arise when we consider the incidents that took place after the arrest. It seems now that those suspicions might be true," he said replying to queries from presspersons here.

Asked if he wanted the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the case, Mr. Karunanidhi said that he would not want to comment on it. He had only aired only his suspicions.

Mr. Karunanidhi said that he never stated that it was wrong to arrest the Acharya. "No one is above the law. I have no doubts about this," he said and added that this was his party's stand too.

There was no "somersault" by the DMK. He pointed to the acts by the State Government such as curtailing free power to farmers and then restoring it; taking off eggs from the noon meal scheme and then reintroducing it; and withdrawing the law on forced conversions and the law banning animal sacrifices in the temples and asked if all these were examples of "classy somersault or desperate somersault."

"Like this you all know the list of somersaults that she [Jayalalithaa] has done," he said.

"Didn't ask for takeover of Mutt"

Mr. Karunanidhi clarified that he had never demanded that the Government take over the Sankara Mutt. Despite the fact that the DMK did not agree with the Mutt and its policies, he only wanted that institution the should survive and continue its service to the poor and the needy.

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