TN Opposition parties welcome Karnataka appeal in SC against Jaya

Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu today said Karnataka government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the acquittal of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate wealth case due to their persistent demand.

“This was not just the request of DMK but that of all and it (appeal) has been done based on that,” DMK treasurer MK Stalin said. Jayalalithaa, convicted by a trial court in Bengaluru in September last in the disproportionate assets case, was subsequently acquitted by the Karnataka High court on May 11 last, paving the way for her return as chief minister.

Since then, opposition parties in the state had been pressing the Karnataka government, the sole prosecuting agency in the case, to file an appeal against the verdict. PMK founder S Ramadoss, who had even written to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on this matter, said that Jayalalithaa had “lost the right to continue in the chief minister’s post following today’s appeal”.

In a series of tweets, he also said Karnataka moving the apex court meant that the “appeal of the people of Tamil Nadu” had been admitted.

Welcoming the move, CPI National Secretary D Raja said, “The (HC) judgement had raised several questions about the credibility of the judgement and it was expected of the Karnataka government to go for the appeal.”

TNCC president EVKS Elangovan also welcomed the filing of the appeal.

The Karnataka Cabinet had on June 1 decided to move the Supreme Court against the high court order acquitting Jayalalithaa in the case.

Karnataka in its appeal today, had sought setting aside of the high court order and also pleaded that Jayalalithaa’s disqualification be restored.