DMK councillors staged a walk-out from the council meeting here on Friday in protest against “derogatory remarks.”
As soon as the council convened, Mayor Savitri Gopal brought forward a resolution hailing the return of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. She said Ms. Jayalalithaa had overcome the “conspirators’ devious acts’’ in foisting the disproportionate assets case against her. The verdict by the Karnataka High Court exonerating Ms. Jayalalithaa of all charges in the case was a welcome step paving the way for growth of Tamil Nadu.
DMK floor leader T.K.G. Neelamegam objected to the use of terms like “conspirators” as they castigated his party general secretary K. Anabalagan who had impleaded himself in the case. It was not fair to dub him a conspirator and the resolution must be withdrawn.
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The Mayor pointed out that in 2001 the Opposition parties including the Congress in the Assembly, had urged the then Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalithaa to withdraw the case as it was foisted on her for political considerations. But she had refused stating that courts would exonerate her as she had not committed any offence.
The Karnataka High Court verdict, in allowing the appeal of Ms.Jayalalithaa, has only proved that the cases were foisted by conspirators who were out to destroy her. The resolution sought to convey that and so did not require withdrawal, Ms. Savitri Gopal said.
AIADMK councillor Swaminathan mentioned that Mr. Anabalagan had intervened and petitioned on behalf of the DMK and with the court throwing out the case against the Chief Minister all the conspirators in the DMK stood exposed now. When the trial court judge Cunha handed a guilty verdict, the DMK men rejoiced at Ms. Jayalalithaa’s discomfiture and gloated over the merits of his judgment.
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The same party cadres were now criticizing Justice Kumaraswamy’s verdict and castigating him for doing justice to Ms. Jayalalithaa. It showed their true colours, he added. If you continue to criticise the judge, then you all might face the music, he warned the DMK councillors.
Disputing the comments and the wordings in the resolution, DMK councillors staged a walk out raising slogans against the manner in which the meeting was conducted.