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TN Opposition demands Jaya, Sasikala's arrest for assault

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi Thursday told the state assembly that the government would take all action "as per law" in the Rajasekharan assault case.

Even as Opposition leaders, barring those of the Pattali Makkal Katchi and Bharatiya Janata Party -- allies of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam -- demanded the immediate arrest of J Jayalalitha and Sasikala, or at least the latter, Karunanidhi said Sasikala's nephew has already been arrested.

The chief minister dismissed as incorrect Jayalalitha's statements denying the assault incident and blaming him, Karunandhi, for campaigning to tarnish her image. She is an expert in telling lies, he said.

The chief minister said that when certain members raised the publication of a photograph showing Jayalalitha allegedly in the company of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassins in the House on January 27, 1997, he had only said he would investigate the matter. But Jayalalitha came out with a statement blaming him for the photograph, he said.

Karunanidhi termed as totally incorrect a report in a leading English daily on March 19 that the Union home ministry had described the state's report on the assault episode as vague.

The state had received a fax from the ministry only on March 19 evening, seeking details of the assault case and not clarifications as reported. The state home secretary had replied the next day, he said.

When the government had sent the report only on March 20, the daily carried a report datelined March 18 and "quoted" a home ministry official as having said that the government's report was vague, he pointed out.

He said the Union home ministry was provided the full details of Rajashekaran's written complaint.

UNI

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