Chennai, Jul 17 (PTI) DMK MP Tiruchi Siva has stoked a controversy by saying that Congress leader and former Chief Minister K Kamaraj could not sleep without air conditioners. Later, Siva clarified that he did not mean to tarnish the great leader’s reputation.
On Thursday, seeking to put the controversy to rest, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin appealed to the two parties not to give room to the intentions of evil-minded people who plan to stir trouble and revel in it, but strive together to fulfill the dreams of Kamaraj, who worked all his life to create social justice and communal harmony.
“Let’s avoid futile discussions. It is not right to have controversial discussions in public about such a great leader and a pure Tamilian. Any opinion should be shared in a way that protects the dignity of respected leaders,” he said in a post on X.
The Rajya Sabha MP had also claimed that the iconic Congress leader had during his last days held the hands of DMK’s former president and late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, then, and urged him to “protect the democracy.” While addressing the party’s meeting in Perambur here on July 16, Siva, who is DMK’s deputy general secretary, alleged that Kamaraj, though lauded for his simplicity, could not sleep without air conditioner.
He claimed that this was disclosed to him by Karunanidhi himself and that the then DMK government installed air conditioners in all the government guest houses.
His remarks evoked strong denouncement from the Congress leaders and TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai flayed the MP for the controversial remarks and accused Siva of speaking without evidence.
“No one has the right to speak in such a manner about Kamaraj or even the right to criticise him,” Selvaperunthagai said.
Congress MP Jothimani too reacted sharply, saying Kamaraj was known for his honesty, simplicity and administrative skills.
“He was defeated in elections only because of the myths spread by the DMK,” she said.
“He (Kamaraj) travelled to every nook and corner of Tamil Nadu where there were no AC rooms or five-star hotels. As a chief minister, he stayed in government hotels and even slept under a tree when the heat was unbearable,” she said dismissing Siva’s statement as “false.” TMC leader and BJP’s ally G K Vasan, who was once a Congress leader, expressed anguish over the “baseless” charge and said Kamaraj was responsible for the growth Tamil Nadu had achieved today.
“His tenure was regarded as the golden rule in Tamil Nadu. He was a role model for simplicity and integrity,” Vasan said and flayed Siva for making wrong statements about this towering personality.
Later, the DMK MP clarified that debates intensified as if he spoke in a manner that tarnished the reputation of the great leader Kamaraj.
“Many people know that I criticise with dignity even when I talk about leaders who are in the opposition. I usually speak passionately and emotionally on many platforms that Kamaraj was the eye opener for education and that he was the guiding force for India in introducing the mid-day meal scheme in schools to encourage children to attend schools,” Siva said in a statement.
He had great respect and admiration for Kamaraj, who was a freedom fighter, one who made sacrifices, served the people as Chief Minister and leader of the Congress party, and held a special place in everyone’s hearts.
“I request everyone to kindly accept this explanation and not to make the message I conveyed in my speech a subject of further debate,” he said.
Reacting to the sudden development, Stalin said rationalist leader Periyar Ramasamy praised Kamaraj as a ‘pure Tamilian’ and late Chief Minister C N Annadurai decided not to field a candidate against the leader in the Gudiyatham by-election.
When Kamaraj passed away, it was Karunanidhi who stood like a son and made all arrangements for his last respects, set up a memorial, and declared his birthday as Education Development Day, Stalin said.
“It was the greatest blessing in my life that Perunthalaivar (great leader) came to my wedding in person despite his frail health and blessed me,” the CM said.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed Tiruchi Siva’s comments and dismissed his claim that Kamaraj held Karunanidhi’s hand as “a white lie.” “Is there no limit to the DMK’s distortion of history? The talk of Mr Stalin and the DMK about Kamaraj is ridiculous. If it is not right to have controversial discussions about the leader, then who started that controversy? Is it not your party’s Rajya Sabha MP Trichi Siva?” Palaniswami asked in a post on X.
BJP’s former state president sought to know if the Congress would walk out of the DMK-led alliance and contest alone to save its dignity. PTI JSP JSP ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.