M K Stalin rejects reports of differences between him and Karunanidhi

O Panneerselvam had alleged that Stalin had snatched away the Opposition Leader's post from Karunanidhi, who was the top DMK leader

DMK treasurer and Opposition Leader in Tamil Nadu assembly M K Stalin on Saturday rejected reports of differences with his father and party Chief M Karunanidhi, as he charged arch rival AIADMK with trying to create confusion among DMK workers.

Stalin also described as "indecent allegation", Finance Minister O Panneerselvam's claim that DMK's demand for proper facilities for wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi to attend Assembly proceedings was due to problems between him and Karunandhi.

"Panneerselvam has embarked on creating confusion in the party and the family by claiming that there are differences between the father and the son. This does not behold his Minister's post," Stalin said in a statement here.

He, without elaborating, said Panneerselvam was not known to make such statements "but has been forced to do so".

"The contention by Panneerselvam and reports in some dailies supporting them (AIADMK) that there are differences between the father (Karunanidhi) and the son (Stalin) are completely false. The efforts by AIADMK to create confusion in DMK will not succeed," he said.

Panneerselvam should not resort to making such "baseless" allegations, he said.

"There cannot be a worse allegation than that I snatched away the Opposition Leader's post from Kalaignar (Karunanidhi). In fact, when DMK was in power, he allowed me to reply on the debate on Governor's address," Stalin said recalling his father's Chief Ministerial tenure.

On Panneerselvam's claim that a letter from Stalin to Speaker P Dhanapal on the seating arrangement for DMK MLAs did not mention Karunanidhi's name, the Opposition Leader said his party whip R Sakkarapani had seperately taken up the DMK chief's case through a letter.

Stalin said he himself had drawn Karunanidhi's attention to that particular letter and that he had approved it.

He also chided Panneerselvam for Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa not taking him along during her Delhi visit earlier this week.

She had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and presented a dossier of demands for funds for projects in various sectors.

On Friday, Panneerselvam had alleged that DMK's row over seating arrangement for Karunanidhi in the Assembly was a fallout of differences between him and Stalin.

He had also alleged that Stalin had "snatched away" the Opposition Leader's post from Karunanidhi, who was the top DMK leader.