Millennium Post

‘Afraid of Sasikala, we lied about Jaya’s health’

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

MADURAI/KODAGU : Senior Tamil Nadu minister and AIADMK leader Dindigul Srinivasan has claimed that afraid of Sasikala, party leaders lied about Jayalalith­aa's health last year so that people believe that she was improving.

No one was allowed to meet the late chief minister.

Whoever came, would be briefed by Sasikala's relatives that she was “all right”, he said.

The minister sought the pardon of AIADMK cadres and the public for lying about Jayalalith­aa's health. Reacting to the minister's comments, sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran told reporters at Kodagu in Karnataka that they have footage of Jayalalith­aa getting treatment in hospital and would hand it over at “an appropriat­e time”.

MADURAI/KODAGU : Senior Tamil Nadu minister and AIADMK leader Dindigul Srinivasan has claimed that afraid of Sasikala, party leaders lied about Jayalalith­aa's health last year so that people believe that she was improving.

No one was allowed to meet the late chief minister.

Whoever came, would be briefed by Sasikala's relatives that she was "all right", he said.

The minister sought the pardon of AIADMK cadres and the public for lying about Jayalalith­aa's health.

Reacting to the minister's comments, sidelined AIADMK leader TT V Dhinakaran told reporters at Kodagu in Karnataka that they have footage of Jayalalith­aa getting treatment in hospital and would hand it over at "an appropriat­e time".

Addressing a public meeting at Madurai late last night, Srinivasan said he was now coming out with the truth pushed by the situation.

The fact was none including himself was allowed to see Jayalalith­aa, who was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on September 22, 2016, claimed Srinivasan, who had also made such statements to the media last year.

After prolonged treatment for infection and other complicati­ons, Jayalalith­aa had died of a heart attack on December 5 last. Chief Minister K Palaniswam­i recently announced that a commission of inquiry would probe the death.

Present deputy chief minister and former rebel leader O Panneersel­vam had pressed for a probe into the death of Jayalalith­aa saying there were doubts in the minds of people.

"I seek pardon from you. Please forgive me. We told lies Amma (Jayalalith­aa) is eat- ing sambar, chutney, tea etc so that you will believe that she is improving. In fact nobody saw Amma eating idli or drinking tea or chatting... all are lies," Srinivasan said.

Similarly, news about several leaders meeting Jayalalith­aa in the hospital and their version that she was improving was also false, he claimed.

"We were afraid of Sasikala at that time and lied about Jayalalith­aa's health condition," he claimed.

"It is very common that sisters who fight inside the house will appear to be friendly outside. We did not want the secret of the party to get leaked... that is why we lied," he said.

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