India

In father’s absence, Alagiri visits mother and half-sister Kanimozhi

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Chennai: MK Alagiri, expelled from the DMK just days ago by his father, is stacking up a series of visits to other family members.

89-year-old DMK president MK Karunanidhi is campaigning outside Chennai. Yesterday, he said, in a clear indictment of his son, “DMK will never forgive those who work against the party, whether it is a wife or a son or brothers.”

Mr Alagiri, who has proved himself a proficient rebel, was removed from the party for a sustained campaign to undermine his younger brother, MK Stalin, chosen by their father as his political heir.

Today, Mr Alagiri visited his half-sister M Kanimozhi, just hours after a meeting with his mother, Dayalu Ammal.

Both women have been accused by the CBI of using a television channel they own in Chennai as a landing-spot for a massive kickback in the telecom scandal, which has singed the top leaders of the DMK.

A Raja, the former telecom minister seen as Mr Karunanidhi’s protégé, was arrested for allegedly fashioning the scam, which saw ineligible companies getting sweet deals on licenses for mobile networks.

Mr Karunanidhi maintains that he has not been shown any evidence to prove the guilt of his party members. Yesterday, he publicly accused his former ally, the Congress, of being ungrateful and said it had used the CBI investigation in the telecom scandal to unfairly taint his party. However, he offered, if the Congress expresses its regret, a post-election alliance is not impossible.

The DMK is contesting Tamil Nadu’s 39 parliamentary seats without a partnership. In 2009, it tied up with the Congress and was a senior member of the Prime Minister’s coalition government till it left the UPA in 2012.

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