Clemency appeal for Nalini has exposed Karunanidhi:Jaya

Tiruchirapalli, Oct 12 (UNI) AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa today said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi has ''exposed himself'' by seeking clemency for Nalini, the prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Asked about Mr Karunanidhi's reported remark that he would be happy if Nalini was released, Ms Jayalalithaa said, ''The DMK leader has proved right our doubts about him (with regard to the assassination case) and what has been said in the interim report of the Jain Commission (which went into the conspiracy aspect of the assassination)''.

Nalini, the prime accused in the case, is presently lodged in Vellore central jail after her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, fllowing intervention of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Karunanidhi, when asked about Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) leader Thol Thirumavalavan's plea for remission of sentence for Nalini, had said ''I would be happy if a situation arises for her release.'' He, however, made it clear that he would not press for the same.

On the alleged scaling down of her security, Ms Jayalalithaa said she was unperturbed about this as she strongly believed that the people of the state and party cadres were behind her. ''Above all, God is with me'', she said.

UNI GSM/WS KD KP1926