DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Saturday wondered why he was being singled out by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for the remarks he expressed on the May Day twin blasts on a train at Chennai Central when leaders of various other political parties had also spoken out on the issue.
On Friday, the AIADMK chief accused Mr. Karunanidhi of indulging in “armchair” criticism that the police had failed to take proper steps to avert the blasts. Citing the bomb blasts in the State which occurred during the DMK regime in 1997 and 1998, she had stated that Mr. Karunanidhi criticising the May Day train blasts was like “devil quoting the scripture.”
In a statement here on Saturday, Mr. Karunanidhi recalled that immediately after the explosions on February 14, 1998, in Coimbatore, he informed the then Prime Minister, I.K. Gujaral, who assured him of all assistance.
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The very next day, he visited the place, along with Tamil Maanila Congress founder G.K. Moopanar and a host of officials, to console the injured.
“When the blasts in Coimbatore occurred, I…went there and consoled the injured. Should not Ms. Jayalalithaa have come to Chennai and consoled those hurt in the blasts [on a train at Chennai Central]?” he asked.