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DMK to take legal counsel to clear name in telecom scam

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BS Reporter Chennai

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu today decided it would take legal action to establish the truth in the telecom spectrum allocation scam in which Kanimozhi, the party’s Rajya Sabha member and daughter of Chief Minister and party president M Karunanidhi, has been named co-conspirator.

The decision was passed as a resolution at the party’s apex committee. It was attended by M K Stalin, deputy chief minister, and M K. Alagiri, Union chemicals and fertiliser minister, both sons of Karunanidhi. Kanimozhi was present, as was party general secretary K Anbazhagan,former central minister T R Baalu and others.

 

“We will take legal steps to prove the truth,” said Karunanidhi after the meeting.

Kalaignar TV, the Tamil channel controlled by the DMK’s ruling family, has been charged with being the recipient of Rs 214 crore from Cineyug Communications, allegedly linked to the 2G spectrum allocation to Swan Telecom. The allocation was made by A Raja, the jailed ex-communications minister, who is alos from the DMK.

On whether Kanimozhi and the head of Kalaignar TV, Sharad Kumar, would seek anticipatory bail, Karunanidhi said the lawyers would decide.

The meeting was convened to discuss the party’s next course of action on the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Kanimozhi, Kumar, and three others, Karim Morani of Cineyug Films, and Asif Balwa and Rajiv B Agarwal of Kusegaon Realty. The DMK says the Rs 214 crore payment to Kalaignar TV was a loan, since repaid with interest, something Karunanidhi reiterated today.The DMK is a key ally (18 Lok Sabha Mps) of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

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First Published: Apr 28 2011 | 12:12 AM IST

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