'Govt to seek CBI probe into Dinakaran attack'
Chennai, May 10: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said the government will seek the Centre's assistance for a CBI probe into yesterday's violence in Madurai in which three employees of Tamil Daily 'Dinakaran' were killed.
Replying to a special calling attention motion tabled by various poltical parties on the issue in the Assembly, Mr Karunanidhi said the Chief Secretary will write to the Centre, seeking a CBI probe.
'Since it concerns my family members, I have decided to seek a CBI probe into it,'' the CM said. So far, 101 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, including 82 under preventive custody and cases registered under various sections of the IPC, Explosives Substances Act and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Damages to Public Properties Act.
Six special teams have been formed to nab others involved in the incident.
Police protection has been given to all 'Dinkaran' and SUN TV offices all over Tamil Nadu. All SPs have been directed to take steps to prevent any untoward incident.
Stating the survey was unnecessary, he said the 'Dinakaran' had published it despite his appeal to the paper against it.
Observing
that
he
had
no
belief
in
opinion
polls,
a
point
which
he
had
been
stressing
over
the
years,
Mr
Karunanidhi
said
despite
his
request
the
newspaper
had
published
the
survey
on
the
best
Union
Minister
from
Tamil
Nadu,
causing
heart-burn
among
the
constituent
partners.
Though
ministers
from
DMK,
Congress
and
PMK
figure
in
the
Union
cabinet,
the
survey
gave
64
per
cent
for
Dayanidhi
Maran,
27
per
cent
for
P
Chidamabram,
seven
per
cent
for
T
R
Baalu,
one
per
cent
to
Anbumani
Ramadoss
and
others
one
per
cent.
After the publication of the survey, he had issued a statement appealing to the cadres not to make comments that affect the good relations between the constituent parties as the survey findings were not in good taste.
He described Mr Chidambaram as one of the icons of Indian economy. ''There is no denying this fact, though some of his measures might not go down well with the Left and other parties''.
''Likewise, Dr Anbumani had taken various steps through his ministry and had won accolades from the Prime Minister.
At a time when these ministers, though belonging to various parties, were shining brightly, the opinion poll had caused a heart-burn among the parties, he added.
Despite his statement, the newspaper came out with another poll on ''Kalaignar's political heir'', in which his second son and State Local Administration Minister M K Stalin polled 70 per cent.
''Others got 20 per cent, and two per cent each went to Mr Karunanidhi's eldest son M K Azhagiri and his daugther Kanimozhi''.
''They had not left with that. They had given two per cent for Azhagiri in Tamil Nadu and zero per cent in Chennai and two per cent for Kanimozhi'', he pointed out.
Mr Karunanidhi said the survey had come despite Mr Azhagiri's frequent statements that he was not interested in any party post. Even Ms Kaznimozhi had stated that she was not interested in entering politics. ''In any political movement, the workers will not have one leader. There might be groups. Likewise, the supporters of Mr Azhagiri, incensed over the opinion poll indulged in violence in Madurai.
Detailing the sequence of events, the Chief Minister said at 0930 hrs yesterday, some people staged a protest in front of 'Dinakaran' office at Madurai and five people were arrested in this connection.
Again at 1000 hrs, a group headed by one Saravanan, barged into the office and pelted stones damaging the windscreeens. Two people, Azhagu Raja and Premkumar, were arrested so far.
Security was strengthened at the office by deploying 17 police personnel. But around 1130 hrs, a group, which came in a Tata sumo, breached the police cordon and hurled petrol bombs at the office, in which two employees of Dinakaran--Gopinath and vinod-- died due to suffocation.
Cases were registered under various sections of IPC and under Explosive Substance Act and under Section 4 of Tamil Nadu (Prevention) damages and Loss Act, 1992. Five people -- Tiger Pandi, Batcha, Saravanan, Maari and Prabhu -- were arrested and the car was impounded. Seven others were arrested for damaging buses.
Six special teams have been formed to arrest others involved in the violence, Mr Karunanidhi said and added as a precautionary measure 82 people were taken into preventive custody and lodged in jails.
Since the issue concerned his family members, he had decided to seek a probe by CBI instead of the State Police.
UNI