Karuna blasts Katju, says he is acting under indirect pressure

The 90-year old former chief minister of Tamil Nadu questioned Katju's motives in raking up a decade-old matter

DMK President M Karunanidhi today lashed out at former Supreme Court Judge Markendaya Katju for his allegations on a Tamil Nadu judge, which has put his party under a cloud, and accused him of acting under 'indirect pressure'.

Breaking his silence on the issue which has triggered a major controversy, the 90-year old former chief minister questioned Katju's motives in raking up a decade-old matter and described it as an attempt to "defame the judiciary" despite being a part of it for several years.

"He has been making some allegations for the past two days due to some indirect compulsions. After having been a Judge for several years and rising upto the Supreme Court and now to level such allegations against the apex court chief justices themselves is only an attempt to defame the judiciary itself," Karunanidhi said in his caustic remarks against Katju.

In a statement headlined "Katju's dishonest comments strangulating the neck of judiciary", Karunananidhi hit out at the Press Council Chairman saying he had made "unwarranted indirect reference to DMK".

Karunanidhi, however, skirted any reference as to whether his party, which was an ally of UPA for ten years, had exerted pressure on the Prime Minister over the appointment of an Additional Judge of Madras High Court, as alleged by Katju.

Reffering to a Facebook post of Katju praising Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as a person who never interfered in the judiciary's functioning, he said how it was published in a prominent newspaper.

"It is understood that at a time when the verdict on the disproportionate case against Jayalalithaa is nearing, planned news that sing peans to her are being disseminated with a view to exert pressure on the verdict," he said.

Seeking to know why Katuju remained silent all these years, he said, "did he remain reticent since he wanted the top slot in the Press Council of India."

Demanding to know why Katuju did not explicitly mention the name of the judge against whom he made allegations, he quipped,"only if he names the judge will the accused be able to come up with his reply."

Snubbing Katju as "self-contradictory," he referred to several incidents including adverse criticism by Union Minister Arun Jaitley against him last year and his retraction of his "90 per cent Indians fools statement" and his stance on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"He is a self-contradictory angry man and a bundle of contradictions. Anyone can understand about his allegations now and whom it is intended to help.