Senior DMK leader and Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam saw a “heinous conspiracy” building up within the party to silence him politically by exploiting the arrest of his nephew in connection with the gruesome murder of 6 members of a family here recently.
“I could feel it (the conspiracy). And I am the target,” he said while talking to The Hindu here on Monday. The Minister said a powerful few within the party were in fact taking advantage of the situation and trying to sideline him from active politics and from the DMK. The CB CID probe smacked of this sinister motive, he charged.
Mr. Arumugam, who is also the Salem district DMK secretary, claimed that of late a political group in Salem was engaged in a “malicious campaign” against him. “This group, led by a local MLA who was groomed under me, has the sly support and blessings of some. It is highly unfortunate,” he said.
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“The witch-hunt of those who are with me and who have been working for the party's welfare for long has reached such a regrettable situation that the CB CID team had even summoned a former DMK MLA and a senior party functionary to appear for an enquiry in connection with these murders,” he said.
Mr. Arumugam said that such negative approach would bring ill repute to the party's image at a time when the Assembly elections were fast approaching.
“I informed my political mentor and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi about all these recent developments. Not that he would help me or take some steps in this regard but just to keep him informed. That is my duty,” he pointed out.
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Mr. Arumugam, who recently met his nephew and Salem district panchayat vice-chairman K Sureshkumar in the Salem Central Prison, an accused in connection with the mass murders of the family of a retired police inspector, Kuppuraj, said the crime was committed in cold blood following an alleged land dispute and the perpetrators had to be punished.
“One of the sons of the deceased has surrendered before a Madras Court and gave a confession statement too. Police have also arrested two of their relatives. The name of Sureshkumar had been included later based on petitions. Let him fight the case in the court to get justice,” he said.