"Panneerselvam killed Jayalalithaa to retain CM post": TN law minister

The O Panneerselvam camp of the AIADMK had demanded a fair probe into Jayalalithaa's death

C S Shanmugam, the law minister of Tamil Nadu has stirred controversy accusing O Panneerselvam of killing J Jayalalithaa. During a public rally, the minister accused Panneerselvam of murdering Jayalalithaa to retain the Chief Minister's post.

Mocking the AIADMK PTA faction's demand for a probe into Jayalalithaa's death, C S Shanmugam said that Panneerselvam should be probed first. "Pannerselvam was made the Chief Minister when Jayalalithaa passed away and he continued to be the Chief Minister even two months after her death.

If there is an inquiry, Panneerselvam should be the first person to be investigated. I am accusing Panneerselvam of killing Amma so that he could retain the Chief Minister's post," he claimed and added that such suspicion was emerging now.

The statement is sure to come as another deterrent to the AIADMK merger talks that have almost come to a standstill. Shanmugam's statement comes in the backdrop of Panneerselvam camp demanding that a probe be ordered into Jayalalithaa's death. The camp has maintained that merger talks will go ahead only after a probe is ordered. The Edappadi Palanisamy camp has maintained that a decision on the probe will be taken by the court since petitions demanding the same have been filed.

Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy has assured that the government would order a CBI probe if the Madras High Court directs it to do so while passing orders in a PIL filed before it. With the merger talks going nowhere, frustration has set in and such statements are indicative of the same. It may be noted that while Panneerselvam camp demanded a probe, they have not blamed anyone of murdering Jayalalithaa. Shanmugam's statements accuse Panneerselvam directly of killing Jayalalithaa to retain power.

OneIndia News