Chennai, Jan 29- The sibling rivalry between the DMK president M. Karunanidhi’s sons Alagiri and Stalin spilled on to the streets of Chennai with the burning of Alagiri’s effigies. Stalin’s supporters numbering around over 50 burnt the effigies at a few places. They were protesting against the reported words about Stalin. The incident followed after Karunanidhi announced at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that Alagiri picked up a quarrel with him and spoke unsavouary words. “Alagiri told me that Stalin is going to die in next four months and asked me in that case why should I support him. No father can tolerate this sort of words,” told a visibly moved Karunanidhi in a chocked voice.
This prompted Stalin’s supporters, mainly the volunteers of DMK youth wing from South Chennai to burnt effigies. They informed media houses in advnace and carried out protests at few crowded places on Tuesday evening. They shouted filthy slogans against Alagiri. Then they squatted on the roads. After few minutes they burnt the effigies of Alagiri and shouted slogans against him. Meanwhile, Alagiri at a press conference in Madurai on Tuesday evening denied all the charges against him. He said the party while suspending him from DMK did not mention anything of this sort in its written statement. “I wish Kalaignar (as Karunanidhi is called) a long life. My only wish is that we all should die before he goes out of this world,” said Alagiri and refused to take any questions from media personnel. Alagiri, who is going to turn 63 on January 30, said he is taking his father’s charges against him as nothing but birth day gift.
For Alagiri, it seems this January is a bad month. On January 5, the DMK high command dismantled the entire DMK unit for their anti-party activities. This was done a day before Alagiri’s interview to a local Tamil news channel. In that interview, Alagiri said that he will under no circumstances accept the leadership of Stalin. He also ridiculed actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth. This angered Stalin much as he is trying his level best to bring Vijayakanth’s DMDK to the DMK fold for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a related development, five more of supporters Alagiri were suspended from the party on January 22 for anti-party activities. Alagiri was at that time in Hong Kong on a short trip.
On the wee hours of January 24, Alagiri returned from Hong Kong and went to Karunanidhi’s residence around 7:30 am. He was angry and demanded justice from his father for the suspension of his supporters. He told Karunanidhi that the suspension was at the instigation of Stalin. When Karunanidhi refused to budge and outrightly rejected his demand to reinstate his loyalists all hell were let loose. Alagiri reportedly shouted at Karunanidhi and went out. Just a couple of hours after that, the DMK suspended Alagiri. Karunanidhi who kept quiet for five days since then, on Tuesday afternoon divulged the full scenario to reporters at a hurriedly called press conference. Even the DMK seniors are shocked by Karunanidhi’s revelations.
-Indiatoday
