National News
Dinakaran faction trying to influence RK Nagar bypoll: AIADMK on release of Jayalalithaa’s hospital video
The video, which comes a day before the bypoll at Jayalalithaa’s R K Nagar constituency, is being seen as an attempt to counter allegations and rumours that hold V K Sasikala and her family responsible for the AIADMK supremo’s death.
The unified AIADMK on Wednesday criticised P Vetrivel, a close aide of TTV Dinakaran and one of the disqualified MLAs supporting V K Sasikala faction, for releasing a video of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaawhile in hospital, saying it was done with the intention of influencing the RK Nagar bypoll scheduled to take place tomorrow.
Senior party leader and fisheries minister D Jayakumar insisted that they expect the Election Commission to take immediate action against Vetrivel as the Model Code of Conduct is in place.
“It is with the intention of influencing RK Nagar by poll that the video has been purposefully released. Why it was not released earlier, why one day before polls?” ANI quoted Jayakumar as saying.
The video, which comes a day before the bypoll at Jayalalithaa’s R K Nagar constituency, is being seen as an attempt to counter allegations and rumours that hold V K Sasikala and her family responsible for the AIADMK supremo’s death. Sasikala’s nephew Dinakaran is one of the powerful candidates in the bypoll.
Top sources in Dinakaran faction claimed the video was shot by none other than Sasikala when Jayalalithaa was under treatment in Apollo Hospitals.
However, the Election Commission has already directed TV channels not to telecast the video as it was in violation of the Section 126 (1) (b) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, which prohibits display of “any election matter”, inter-alia, on TV, during the period of 48 hours fixed for conclusion of poll.
The ruling AIADMK faction, headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his ministers, too, have been making statements triggering suspicions at Sasikala and her family.
Top sources in Dinakaran faction claimed the video was shot by none other than Sasikala when Jayalalithaa was under treatment in Apollo Hospitals.
Last September, after state ministers supporting the ruling faction levelled allegations against Sasikala’s family regarding Jayalalithaa during her hospitalisation, Dinakaran stated that there was no mystery or nothing to hide.
He also added that his aunt Sasikala had shot a video of Jayalalithaa from her hospital bed. “It was Amma (Jayalalithaa) who insisted to shoot the video of her weight loss, her video in which she was watching TV. As she was wearing night wear, we do not want to release them,” Dinakaran had said.
The video may serve as a crucial evidence before the court of inquiry on Jayalalithaa’s death.
