Berth in union cabinet for Kanimozhi in offing

Chennai, Oct 27: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi today indicated that her Poetess daughter and party's Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi could be inducted into the Union cabinet.

''She could be inducted at sometime'', Mr Karunanidhi told newspersons when asked whether his daughter, who was made Rajya Sabha member recently, would be given a berth in the Union cabinet.

Mr Karunanidhi's remarks assumed significance in the wake of reports that Ms Kanimozhi could be inducted into the cabinet after the return of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is now touring in China.

The DMK, which was a key constituent of the Congress led UPA government at the centre, has seven of its MPs as Minsiters in the Union cabinet. They included two cabinet Ministers- Shipping and Highways Minsiter T R Baalu and Communication and Information Technology Minister A Raja.

Mr Karunanidhi evaded a direct reply, when asked whetherhis adurai-based son M K Azhagiri would be given a post in the party.

On the alleged attack on MDMK Propaganda Secretary Nanjil Sampath inside the Madurai central prison premises, he said he was not aware of any such incident.

Only after party leader Vakio visited him at the prison, the news about the attack incident came to light and immediately, Nanjil Sampath was transferred to the Tiruchirapalli prison, he said.

Mr Karunanidhi said Mr Sampath was arrested for his defamatory speech at a public meeting at Vathlagundu in Madurai. According to the CM, said he had received files from the law departmnet many times, suggesting that a case could be registered against Mr Sampath for his inflamatory speeches in public meetings. But he always sent back the files with a note that he could be ignored, he added.

Intervening, Public Works Minister Duraimurugan, who was present with the Chief Minister, said at Vathlagundu public meeting, Mr Nanjil Sampath had described Chief Minister and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin in a very bad taste and undignified manner. It was unfortunate that he was not pulled up by party leader Vaiko.

Mr Duraimurugan recalled that when DMK senior leader N V Natarajan wanted the party volunteers to stone Congress ministers while addressing a public meeting, party founder leader C N Annadurai, who was present, pulled him up and ade him to apologise on the platform itself.

Mr Karunanidhi said recently, the party had suspended platform speaker Vaigai Muthazhagan for criticising the opposition in a disgraceful manner, while addressing a public meeting at Tirunelveli.

UNI