Karunanidhi defends Maran, attacks media

Chennai, Jul 8: Unfazed by the charges against Dayanidhi Maran that led to his exit from the union cabinet, DMK chief M Karunanidhi today said the party would stand by him and attacked the media for the developments.

"Yes", was the emphatic reply given by Karunanidhi when asked by reporters whether his party would back Maran, hours after his grandnephew resigned making him the second DMK casualty after A Raja in the 2G scam.

Karunanidhi had earlier said Maran would take care of himself after his name cropped up in the 2G scam issue for allegedly forcing telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his company Aircel to a Malaysian firm when he was the telecom minister in 2006.

Strongly criticising the media, Karunanidhi said, "In the whole world, especially in a country like India, the media is ruling and (it) can defame anyone. Dayanidhi Maran is no exception." He replied in the negative when asked whether any one from the UPA Government got in touch with him ahead of Maran''s resignation.

"I did not speak with (UPA Chairperson) Sonia Gandhi or any one last night," the DMK patriarch said.

"It is your imagination," he shot back when asked whether he wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Maran's resignation.

PTI