Karunanidhi patch differences with Marans

Karunanidhi patch differences with Marans

Dec 1, 2008, 20:11 Digg this story!

By Sam Rajappa - TNS

CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi pitched the long standing differences with grand Nephews Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi Maran and welcomed back into the family fold Monday evening at the DMK headquarters. The Marans posed for photographs with their uncles, M.K. Azhagiri and M.K. Stalin, the sons of Karunanidhi, and grand-uncle Karunanidhi.

“My heart has sweet feelings, and my eyes are dimmed with emotion. This development came about due to the efforts of Azhagiri and Stalin,” Karunanidhi added.
Earlier on Nov 21, the Marans had released a 14-page signed letter to the press, alleging that charges were being levelled against them by Karunanidhi due to the “instigation of selfish elements” in the family.

“We would have borne political allegations silently. Our forced response is due to the questioning of our integrity, honesty and gratitude (to the family and the party itself)… As if the injuries inflicted on us so far aren’t enough, the present charges amount to dynamiting our heart,” the letter signed by SUN media baron Kalanidhi Maran said.
This was in rejoinder to an open letter addressed to DMK party workers by Karunanidhi earlier that day in which he charged Sun TV, owned by Kalanidhi Maran, of carrying out a conspiracy against the DMK’s union IT minister A. Raja and state minister Arcot Veerasamy.

Mr. Karunanidhi said that even in his dreams he did not think that the sons of his nephew Murasoli Maran would turn against him and become his enemies. Writing in the party organ ‘Murasoli,’ Mr. Karunanidhi narrated three incidents, which he said showed that the Marans were acting against him, his family and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the government.

The first incident related to the hurried manner in which Mr. Karunanidhi and his family were asked to offload shares in the Sun TV Network. The second was the opinion polls published in the Tamil daily ‘Dinakaran,’ owned by the Marans. The third was the manner in which the Sun TV Network vacated its premises at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters. Mr. Karunanidhi said that he and his family members were given Rs. 100 crore for offloading their stakes in the Sun TV Network group.

The meeting was described as one meant for patch up after their fall out with Karunanidhi following the publication of an opinion poll on the successor to Karunanidhi in the DMK in the Tamil daily 'Dinakaran' on May 10 last year and the subsequent attack on the newspaper's office in Madurai. The attack was alleged to have been the handiwork of Karunanidhi's eleder son Azhagiri who is based Madurai.

It may be recalled that the attack on 'Dinakaran' office and the allegation against Azhagiri, led to the exit of Dayanidhi Maran as the Union IT and Communication minister in the UPA government, of which the DMK is a key constituent.

The Maran Brothers met with Karunanidhi as the latter's Gopalapuram residence Monday evening. Except Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi, a Rajya Sabha MP, his other family members including M.K. Stalin and Azhagiri were present at the meting, which lasted about 45 minutes.