Action against Alagiri will not affect DMK: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Jan 24: DMK President M Karunanidhi today said the suspension of his son M K Alagiri will not affect the party even as the Madurai strongman said he had been 'rewarded' for taking up the cause of his loyalists.

Karuanidhi, however, insisted that none will replace the former Union minister as DMK's Organising Secretary (South), a key post. "No" was Karunanidhi's response to reporters when asked if Alagiri's suspension, ordered in the backdrop of his comments against a possible DMK-DMDK alliance, would affect DMK and its poll prospects in particular.

The 90 year-old leader also rejected reports that the suspension would affect DMK's poll prospects, saying it was a media creation. Cracking the whip, DMK today suspended Alagiri from all party posts and primary membership, telling him that his opposition to DMK-DMDK alliance is not going be taken lightly.

Asked if Alagiri will be replaced as DMK's Organising Secretary (South), Karunanidhi said, "that post was created for him and no one else will be appointed." Replying to a question whether Alagiri's suspension will be revoked if he apologised, Karunanidhi said it was up to his son to do so and that he should be asked about the apology.

Reacting to the disciplinary action, Alagiri told a Tamil TV channel that "suspension is the prize that I have got for questioning the removal of my supporters." In a major setback to him, DMK earlier this month dissolved the Madurai city district unit, area and ward units, dominated by Alagiri's supporters, for violating party discipline. Asked if his suspension would affect the party, Alagiri said it would be known "only in the due course."

On Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) leader K Veeramani welcoming his suspension, Alagiri slammed him saying "only he is responsible for the decline of the DMK, he is a political trader."

Meanwhile, DMK Treasurer M K Stalin and Alagiri's brother denied any rift with his elder sibling and described his suspension as a party affair. "Party will take action against anyone who works against it. This was to show that it will act against those who work against the party," he told a TV channel.

On many occasions, disciplinary action had been taken against erring functionaries but that had not affected the party and it should not do so, he added. There were no problems between the brothers, he claimed.

PTI