Sasikala's niece condemns Vetrivel for releasing Jayalalithaa's video to media

Former AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala's nephew Krishna Priya defended her aunt on Wednesday after a disqualified party MLA gave J Jayalalithaa's hospital video clipping to the media, stating that Sasikala had shot the same.

"I strongly condemn P Vetrivel who has released the video of Jayalalithaa. If Sasikala were to portray that she is innocent then she would have released the video long time back, but she did not do so," Krishna Priya told ANI.

The 20-second video clipping, which was released today by Vetrivel, a loyalist of ousted AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dinakaran, has resulted in a political storm.

The ruling party is questioning the timing, as it has been released a day ahead of assembly bypoll of RK Nagar seat, which Dinakaran is contesting as an Independent.

Priya further said the video clipping was given to Dinakaran, so that the same could be given to enquiry commission probing the death of Jayalalithaa.

"But now my question is how this video has gone into the hands of Vetrivel from TTV Dinakaran," Priya enquired.

Earlier, Vetrivel denied the reports that no one met former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa while she was admitted in the Apollo Hospital and said the enquiry commission has not summoned them yet but would submit the evidence if the probe panel would ask them to do so.

In the video, a frail Jayalalithaa can be seen on a bed. She has an I-V drip attached on her right hand.

Mystery shrouded the death of Jayalalithaa after some state ministers and party leaders suggested conspiracy behind her demise. Following their claims, a one-man panel was set up to probe the matter.

The commission is scheduled to submit its report early next year.

The bypoll, necessitated after Jayalalithaa's death, was earlier scheduled for April 12, but was cancelled following allegations that sums of money were distributed in a vote-for-cash scam.

Counting of votes will be held on December 24.