Jaya video released with intention on RK Nagar bypoll: AIADMK

Chennai: The ruling AIADMK today hit out at the VK Sasikala family over the release of a purported hospital video of late J Jayalalithaa, saying it was a “conspiracy” and a “demeaning” act with an eye on tomorrow’s RK Nagar bypoll. The party said this amounted to bringing “disrepute” to the late Tamil Nadu chief minister’s fame and image.

“This demeaning (act) is a planned conspiracy by the Sasikala family to bring disrepute to Amma’s fame and image, done keeping in mind the (RK Nagar) bypoll,” said senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar. AIADMK supporters and the people will not accept this, he told reporters here.

The minister also asked why the TTV Dhinakaran camp, which released the clip today, did not approach the panel constituted by the state government to probe the death of the AIADMK supremo with the visual material. The one-man enquiry commission headed by Justice A Arumughaswamy is probing the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation and medical treatment provided to Jayalalithaa till her demise on December 5 last year. 

Questioning the timing of the video, the minister repeatedly alleged that it was done with an “intention” to influence tomorrow’s RK Nagar bypoll. Sidelined AIADMK leader Dhinakaran, contesting as an independent, is taking on ruling party’s E Madhusudhanan after the RK Nagar seat fell vacant following Jayalalithaa’s death.

Dhinakaran is the nephew of Sasikala, who is currently lodged in a Bengaluru jail. Jayakumar also sought to know who shot the video and if there was any security “breach” since the late chief minister was under Z plus NSG security cover. 

“Whatever material one has in possession in connection with Jayalalithaa in this context, must only be submitted before the Commission which the government had constituted,” the minister said. He demanded legal action against the Dhinakaran camp for the video, saying it amounted to poll code violation.