After the 2G verdict was announced, the acquitted and party members celebrated with sweets and family time, but will this bring together DMK and BJP?
DMK leader M Kanimozhi downplayed the talk of the party forging an alliance with BJP after the 2G case judgment that acquitted her and her party member A Raja on Thursday.
Speaking to DNA on Friday, she hinted that a partnership with the BJP is unlikely. “I don’t think it [the verdict] will change the DMK stand on anything,” she said, minutes after attending the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha where she was congratulated by members across party lines, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Speaking about her interaction with Singh, she said, “He called me yesterday itself and was happy for me. He said God bless you.”
Speculation has been rife about the BJP and the DMK coming closer before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after PM Narendra Modi met Kanimozhi’s father and DMK chief Karunanidhi in Chennai in November.
This was just before the Special CBI court, hearing the 2G case, fixed the date for the verdict.
The DMK is part of a Congress alliance and was part of the UPA government.
“I am not the one going to take a call on these things but my reading is that status quo will be maintained,” she added.
The 2G case was dubbed as one of the biggest swindles after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in a report pegged the presumptive loss to Rs 1.76 lakh crore in November 2010, triggering a political furor that led to the arrest of then Telecom Minister A Raja in February 2011.
Speaking about the long battle, she said, “I don’t want to recall the ordeal. It was a long fight not just for me but for the entire cadre of DMK that faced injustice as a lot of forces came together to malign us.”
Inside the House, she acknowledged the greetings with a smile, at times clasping hands and nodding her head to a member who signaled a congratulatory note.
As the proceedings were on, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’ Brien walked up and sat next to her.
Once Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for the day, Congress leader Kumari Selja, who was a minister in the UPA government, was the first to walk up to Kanimozhi and hugged her. She was followed by senior Congress leader Ambika Soni.
Kanimozhi walked up to Manmohan Singh and greeted him with folded hands.
Even Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was seen shaking her hand as she exchanged pleasantries with parliamentarians after the House was adjourned.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijai Goel also walked up to her to congratulate.
It wasn’t just MPs, but even the Rajya Sabha staff came up to her expressing their good wishes.
The BJP that was in the Opposition then had attacked then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who led the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The CBI had registered a First Information Report (FIR) in 2009 but did not name anyone as an accused. As the agency failed to take any action, the CAG report opened the floodgates for the Opposition to slam the UPA government.
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