Ready to face defamation case: Karunanidhi to Jaya

Chennai, Nov 18: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Tuesday, Nov 18 said his remarks that AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa and MDMK leader Vaiko might have instigated the clash between two groups of law college students to seek his resignation were made in jest, but he was ready to face the defamation case to be filed against him by the AIADMK leader for this.

Reacting to Ms Jayalalithaa's threat to file a defamation case against him for his remarks that the two leaders might have been responsible for the clash, he said he had made the remarks in a lighter vein, while answering a question from mediapersons. In an epistle to partymen, Mr. Karunanidhi said when asked in Coimbatore about the demand made by Ms Jayalalithaa and Mr Vaiko that he should resign, owning moral responsibility for the violent clash in law college, he had replied in jest that they themselves might have incited the students to clash with each other so that they could seek his resignation.

When the CM came out with the reply in a jocular vein, the mediapersons had laughed and even the print media had mentioned that there was a laughter after he replied to the question.

However, Ms Jayalalithaa had hurriedly issued strongly worded statement on Monday, Nov 17, threatening to file a defamation case against him.

''Let the case come, I will face it,'' he said adding if Ms Jayalalithaa wanted to file a case against him for this, how many cases have to be filed against her for her speeches.

Ridiculing the AIADMK leader for her demand for his resignation, he said how could the Chief Minister be responsible for the clash between two groups of students.

Stating that there were clashes, murders and law and order problems during her regime, Mr Karunanidhi said if she had to own moral responsibility for all such incidents, how many times, she had to resign.

Mr Karunanidhi said after the law college incident, the government had initiated action against the police officials, who failed to prevent the clash. After transferring the City Police Commissioner and Joint Commissioner, the government had suspended an Assistant Commissioner of Police and an Inspector of Police.

About 20 students have so arrested far been in connection with the clash and the governmet had also appointed a judicial commission to enquire into the incident, he said.

After all this, if Ms Jayalalithaa still sought his resignation, there could not be any farcical act than this. That was why, he had replied in jest, when newspersons asked about her demand for resignation, he said.

On Ms Jayalalithaa's charge that supporters of his son M K Azhagiri had carried out a murderous attack against her when she visited Pasumpon for Thevar Jayanthi on October 30, Mr Karunanidhi wanted to know on what basis, she had levelled the charge. ''For this alone, she can be sued,'' he said.

He said the AIADMK leader was given adequate protection, during her visit to Pasumpon. As many as 174 police personnel were exclusively deputed for her security, while 1,000 policemen were deployed for security at Pasumpon.

The trouble arose there only when the AIADMK volunteers tried to gate crash. When police prevented them, they pelted stones on the police, he said.

Referring to Ms Jayalalithaa's remarks that he was heading for a bad time and death knell has been sounded for the DMK government, Mr Karunanidhi said leaders of political parties in the state should realise what kind of words, the former Chief Minister, who had educated in a convent school was using.

UNI