The stage has been set for the expulsion of MK Alagiri, the eldest son of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, from the party. An indication to the effect was made by Karunanidhi on Tuesday. “Alagiri shouted at me last Friday that Stalin would die within three months. Do you think any father in this world would tolerate such cruel words about his sonIJ” An emotional Karunanidhi told reporters at the DMK headquarters.
The rift within the family came to fore on Tuesday as Alagiri himself convened a press meet at his Madurai residence and denied the charges levelled by his father. “I pray to God Almighty that my father live happily with good health for more than hundred years. I’ll get salvation only when his tears fall on my dead body,” said Alagiri.
The father-son spat reminds one of the scripts penned by Karunanidhi way back in the 1960s for Tamil movies and dramas packed with melodramas.
Earlier in the day while speaking to reporters, Karunanidhi, who was choking with emotions, alleged that Alagiri used cruel and harsh words for him when he called on him last Friday.
“When he called on me last Friday, he used threatening remarks against Stalin. No father can tolerate such cruel words against his son. Alagiri told me that Stalin would die in three months. I do not know why Alagiri nurtures such deep hatred for Stalin. He also went to the media against the DMK’s general council decision,” said Karunanidhi.
Alagiri was suspended from the party last Friday for “shouting” at Karunanidhi reportedly for suspending five of his Madurai-based loyalists for “anti-party activities”.
However, Alagiri denied the charges. “I just requested him to revoke the suspension of the ten activists. How can I be cruel to my fatherIJ I never used harsh words against him or Stalin,” said.
Interestingly, Alagiri didn’t use to interact with the media other than offering one-liner sound bites to Tamil TV news channels. The Madurai strongman, popularly addressed as Annan (elder brother) and Anjha Nenjan (brave heart) by followers, said he had never violated party disciplines or acted against Karunanidhi.
“For us the DMK means Karunanidhi and Karunanidhi is the DMK. I want him to live for hundreds of years and lead Tamils all over the world,” said Alagiri.
Without naming Stalin, his younger brother and the chosen heir to Karunanidhi, Alagiri said a powerful group in the DMK was keeping the party chief and general secretary Anbazhagan (92) in dark about the happenings in the party’s district units. “They are out to hijack the DMK. But Karunanidhi is unaware of the developments,” said Alagiri.
There has been a strong rumour in Tamil Nadu about Stalin’s health. When he was the deputy Chief Minister during 2006 to 2011, Stalin used to visit the UK regularly for advanced medical treatments for a serious ailment. He was also admitted to a private hospital in Chennai many times. Durga, Stalin’s wife, visits all famous temples in Tamil Nadu, especially lord Murugan Temple at Thiruchendur in Thoothukkudi, offering prayers for his good health.
Karunanidhi said the party would soon take a decision about the expulsion of Alagiri from the party. Though Karunanidhi (91) described Stalin as his son many times during the interaction with reporters, he did not mention the fact that Alagiri too was his son. It is an open secret that Alagiri never got along with his father for taking Rajathi Ammal (Kanimozhi’s mother) as wife when he himself was a grown up boy.
Alagiri, who returned to Madurai on Saturday, is busy overseeing the arrangements of his birthday celebrations on January 30. Since he has been suspended from the party, Alagiri wanted to leave no stones unturned to make the birthday gala a memorable event to send message to the party leadership about his influence in the southern districts. All the 10 suspended leaders of the party are working overtime to make the January 30 event a grand success. Alagiri has said that he would declare his future plans to the media on January 31.