CM hits out at DMK, says its lawyers got bail for Kodanad case

Hitting out at the DMK over the Kodanadu estate break-in case issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswamy today claimed it was the opposition party lawyers who helped two of the accused to get bail.

Addressing a public meeting organised here in connection with the 102nd birth day celebration of AIADMK founder late M G Ramachandran, he also charged DMK president M K Stalin with trying to unseat him and occupy the chief minister's post.

"His (Stalin's) dream to become chief minister after unseating me will not be realised," he asserted.

While Stalin was trying to link him with the robbery gang, it was only the DMK lawyers who were helping the gang members get bail in court, Palaniswami said.

He was referring to two suspects in the case, K V Sayan and Valayar Manoj, getting bail from a Chennai court last week after being arrested in connection with a video footage in which they had allegedly linked him to the break-in by a 10-member gang at the Kodanad estate in April 2017.

Palanisami had already rejected the allegations, but the DMK has urged the state governor to direct the chief minister to resign to facilitate a fair probe.

Referring to Stalin's attack on the BJP calling it a fascist and autocratic party, Palaniswami sought to know how the DMK had entered into alliance with BJP earlier.

During the AIADMK rule of MGR and then Jayalalithaa, the state had made several achievements in various sectors, including the power, health and infrastructure, he said.

"We are now ruling for more than two years. We are also giving good governance. But Stalin is spreading rumours against the government as he somehow wanted to become the chief minister," Palaniswami added.