Jayalalithaa will not misuse interim bail granted by SC: Venkaiah Naidu

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said the Supreme Court has taken a right decision to grant interim bail to former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa on medical grounds in the disproportionate assets case, and added that she is not going to run away.

"There is a case in the Supreme Court and High Court. The matter has been taken up to court and everybody has to respect the court's order. It's good that the court has given bail today because Jayalalithaa is going to be there. I don't think she will go out of the country and misuse the bail. I think the court has taken a correct decision," said Naidu.

"But anyhow at the end of the day 18 years is a very long period for any political case to go on like that, that's why the court while giving bail seems to have fixed some time also. So, that's a good thing, let's hope that early decision will come and whatever final decision come everybody has to go by that," he added.

Naidu, however, emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's larger perspective is that criminalization of politics should be avoided.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants that we should all work in the direction of taking the politically connected criminal cases to their conclusion within one year. If they are honest they should be honoured, if they are dishonest they should lose their seats and should be barred from contesting elections," said Naidu.

"The Prime Minister's larger perspective is that criminalization of politics should be avoided, so people who are tainted or people who are facing criminal charges, those cases should be taken up on priority," he added.

Earlier today, Jayalalithaa's supporters erupted in joy after the Supreme Court granted her interim bail on medical grounds. She was languishing in jail for the past 20 days after being held guilty in a disproportionate assets case.

Jayalalithaa, who was denied bail by the Karnataka High Court following her conviction and a four-year sentence in the graft case, had moved the Supreme Court for bail on October 9.

The AIADMK chief had challenged the Karnataka High Court's decision to deny her bail.

Jayalalithaa had pleaded that she be given immediate relief as she was suffering from various health-related ailments.

A petition has also been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to shift Jayalalithaa from Bangalore to the Chennai Central Prison.