Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday sought the resignation of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, alleging that he got himself elected to Parliament through “fraudulent'' means.
“Mr. Chidambaram was never elected to Parliament in 2009. He has played a fraud on the nation,'' she said at her maiden press conference here after her All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) returned to power with a resounding victory in the recent elections.
“Untenable”
Mr. Chidambaram became the successful candidate in the Sivaganga constituency in 2009 because of a “fraud'' committed by a data entry operator. “His continuation in the Union Council of Minister is untenable,” she said.
Ms. Jayalalithaa was responding to a question relating to her party candidate Raja Kannappan, who contested against Mr. Chidambaram. Asked whether Mr. Kannappan, who eventually lost the election to Mr. Chidambaram, would pursue the case pending in the Madras High Court, she said: “We will try to expedite the hearing of the case.”
‘Maran must also go'
She also demanded the resignation of Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran in the wake of allegations of a quid pro quo in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. “If he does not resign on his own, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should drop him from the Union Council of Ministers.” She, however, noted that she did not raise this issue during her meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier in the day.
Ms. Jayalalithaa brushed aside questions about the possibility of the Congress and the AIADMK coming together again.
“The Congress still has an alliance with the DMK. The Congress and the DMK continue to be partners at the Centre and in the State. In such a situation, it will not be appropriate for me to call on Congress president Sonia Gandhi,'' she said to another question on the invitation extended last month by Ms. Gandhi for a meeting over a cup of tea, while congratulating her on the victory in the Assembly polls.
“I cannot answer hypothetical questions,'' she said when asked whether she was open to the idea of the AIADMK aligning with the Congress in the event of the DMK walking out of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. She, however, said that a suggestion in this regard must first come from the Congress.
Lokpal Bill
On the Lokpal Bill, she said: “The Draft Bill was sent to us. We have asked for some more time to respond, as it is just about a month since I have assumed charge as Chief Minister.” Everyone in the country was concerned about corruption. “The Supreme Court is very active in tackling corruption. We are happy about it,'' she said.
Ms. Jayalalithaa denied that she was vindictive towards the DMK. “All the cases against the DMK and its members have been initiated by the Centre, of which the DMK is a partner. None of the cases was filed either by me or my party members.''
Asked whether her government was planning to file cases against the former DMK Ministers in the State, she said: “We are not looking for any such opportunity. We are more interested in the development of the State.''
Keywords: Jayalalithaa Delhi visit
If the TV news reporting is to be recollected, Mr. Chidambaram had left the counting hall while he was trailing. He returned to counting hall after hearing of his victory on media. How could some one think of him influencing the staffs in posting the votes of his rival to his account at his behest ? The election politics should rest with election results than wasting the precious time of judiciary on such issues.After all, the Country needs able people to run the government. Is there any doubt on his integrity, capability and service to the nation that this matter is raked up for the sake of politics at a time when the nation is passing through the conditions of undeclared emergency ?
Chidambaram has been a big and well deserved shot in Center. This is a man who bring laurels to country by contributing as Finance Minister and now as Home Minister(HM), especially when earlier HM has been in Headlines for all wrong reasons. Jayalalithaa who shoot to power in TN should not be involved in petty politics or accusation . It not only bring bad name for one person but to whole country whom he is a Home minister
She has won people confidence and should refrain herself with sort of accusation policy . Let jury decide whether HM has been involved in any kind of malpractices in election or it's just a data entry operator fault or it's just a misconception . However i will support the view that such matter need to be resolved within a given time frame . Well said phrase that Justice delayed is justice denied seems fit for such scenario .
W hen a matter is before a court the matter is subjudice. In the matter of Chithambaram a Petition to set aside the election on grounds including fraud was filed long ago as 2009. The hearing is over and the verdict awaited. I dont know about India but going on the basis that election peitions are serious matters of State many Countries in the Commonwealth have enacted stringent Rules as to procedure. Firstly a Petion has to be filed within a sertain very limited period. Again a judge is appointed by the State from among the pusine judges in the Country and the hearing must proceed and the verdict rendered all within a short space of time.
In Tamil Nadu I recently came accross a report in your paper announcing that an election petitioner had been successful in obtaining a verdict in his favour. However this announcement was made after a period of 5 years and after the Rule of the DMK lay in ruins. So of what use is such a verdict. I do not know how the Indian Authorities are going to react to this judgment.But be that as it may. Nevertheless one does not require great intelligence to realise that the judgment was unjustly delayed to enable a person who was not the voters choice to sit as an MLA. In the case of Chithambaram I must conclude that the powers that be are 'sitting' on the judgment as it would dethrone CP.
So Jayalalitha (may the Lord be merciful to her) is absolutely within her rights to demand the resignation of CP. In exposing this state of affairs and the fact that the hearing is over it is the Judge who may be held in contempt if and only if he has not reported his findings to the Head of the Government.
Even at the time of counting in the Sivaganga constituency during the election conflicting reports were coming before Mr.Chidambaram's victory was announced by a slim majority. Whether Ms.Jayalalithaa is right about Mr.Chidambaram's election is for the courts to decide. If it is proved the election was a fraud then Mr.Chidambaram's actions and continuing a powerful Home Minister will be questionable. What is the use of the judiciary dragging cases like these till eternity, till the end of the MP's term? At he end it may come with a verdict in favour of the person who has gone on appeal or reject it.The suspense is too long. Election disputes should be heard and settled once and for all in the shortest time. Only then the MP representing the people can act a powerful minister and his actions will have legitimacy. As for Mr.Maran the Prime Minister should be having enough inside information and evidence. He should act swiftly and immediately and ask the minister to step down; or he should come out strongly and defend him. Keeping silent is not fair for the Prime Minister, Mr.Maran or the people. Silence is not golden in this case.
This issue still pending on the court, so nobody should talk about this, like that there are so many issues still pending in court, all will be cleared before this earth dies, until all criminals will be treated as good man, there opinion will be published on newspapers, we need to buy and read until we die.
Not too long ago, during a two-day meet on election reforms, democracy, etc., a former CEC was asked about P. Chidambaram's election to Parliament. He responded by saying that there were no irregularities in the counting, and in his opinion Chidambaram had indeed won the election fair and square, albeit by a thin margin. Since this particular contest turned out to be a very close fight, it demanded even more that the Returning Office follow the instructions and procedures very scrupulously, but he did not. This led to the resulting confusion and impression that something fishy had happened to turn the results around.
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