Katju should have disclosed all the facts, says Karunanidhi

DMK president M. Karunanidhi Thursday asked Press Council of India chairman, Justice Markandey Katju, to disclose details of his assets while wondering why the former apex court judge shouldn't have shared all facts while making a serious charge.

In a statement issued here, Karunanidhi, referring to Katju's response to a journalist, asked: "When a charge is levelled should not the full details and proof be shared."

Katju told a television channel that he does not remember who told him that DMK ministers had told the then prime minister Manmohan Singh the government would fall if the late S. Ashok Kumar was not appointed as additional judge of the Madras High Court.

In his blog Katju Sunday said an additional judge of the Madras High Court was appointed during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime despite an Intelligence Bureau report revealing charges of corruption against him.

Without naming the Tamil Nadu party which was part of the then Congress-led UPA government, Katju said the state party would withdraw support to the government if a particular judge was not given another term as additional judge of the Madras High Court.

Responding to Katju's query of the growth in his family wealth after joining politics, Karunanidhi said the details of his wealth are in public domain as they are shared whenever he fights an election.

"The asset details are also published in newspapers. By asking such a question it is clear how informed is this justice," he said.

Karunanidhi noted that though he has been writing scripts for Tamil films since the age of 25 years and has been five times chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the "only asset I have is my house in Gopalapuram".

"Even that house has been bequeathed to a public property after me and my wife," he said.

"Now I ask what is the wealth of this judge (Katju)," he said.