A day after actor and DMK functionary Kushboo incurred the wrath of party workers for her comments about succession plans in the organisation, the party leadership came out strongly in her support and described as barbaric the attack targeting her in Tiruchi and her residence in Chennai.
Ms. Kushboo, who issued a statement clarifying her remarks on DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin and the possibility of his taking over the DMK leadership in future, said that her remarks in an interview to a Tamil weekly had been misinterpreted and misunderstood by the cadre.
She said she had only been following the party leader, M. Karunanidhi’s line and always stood by whatever he proposed. “In my house, I keep only the photographs of our party leader and Thalapathy (Stalin). I have great regard for him. It pains me that my interview was misunderstood by party cadre and I was attacked in Tiruchi,” she said.
The DMK high command in a statement said it would find out the persons behind the “barbaric act” and take action against them as per the party rules.
Initially, the party in a statement warned of disciplinary action against those who made media comments and gave interviews unilaterally. However, in a short while, the party in another statement strongly defended Ms Khushbu and condemned her attackers. It also repeated the leadership’s warning that party seniors should avoid giving interviews to the media on their own.
The DMK headquarters statement said: “A group is seeking to create misunderstanding among party seniors and of late are conspiring to get Ms. Khushbu expelled from the DMK. Since they cannot succeed in their design, they have indulged in a savage attack on her residence, broke her car windows and terrorised her children.”
The party said the group was furious that Ms. Kushboo was not expelled even after all these incidents and was planting stories against her in newspapers.
The statement noted that Ms. Kushboo’s clarification had put an end to the controversy created by the interview which, it said, was published with a “mischievous headline” and therefore misunderstood by the party cadre. “But unilateral interviews and statements are against party discipline and whoever does it will be subjected to disciplinary action,” the party said.
In her interview to the Tamil weekly, she was quoted as saying the party believed in democratic election for the leadership and no one could be presumed to be the next leader merely because Mr. Karunanidhi had indicated his preference.
