2G spectrum scam verdict lifts DMK’s spirits, party says ‘victory begins now’
DMK leader M K Stalin says 2G scam was politically motivated to harass his party leaders.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) workers lit firecrackers and distributed sweets in Chennai after a special court in Delhi acquitted party leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi in the 2G telecom scam case.
Special judge OP Saini’s verdict proves that the cases against Raja, who was telecom minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, and Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MP and party chief M Karunanidhi’s daughter, were “politically motivated”, said party workers celebrating their “victory” at DMK headquarters and outside Karunanidhi’s residence.
DMK working president M K Stalin said the court ruling has given happiness to his party. “It is now proven that the case was politically motivated to malign one party. It is also now proven that everyone they accused of huge graft was innocent,” said Stalin.
DMK spokesperson A Sarvanan said the party will march ahead with greater force after the court verdict. “Victory begins now--with political motives this case was put in us. Conspiracies were hatched against us but all have been blown away now,” senior DMK leader Durai Murugan was quoted by ANI as saying.
The alleged scam dented the DMK’s image and it didn’t win a single Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 elections in Tamil Nadu, but the verdict may help it now.
The Congress, the DMK’s ally in Tamil Nadu and a former partner in the UPA government, welcomed the court verdict. “2G [case] was used extensively by the BJP in the 2014 general elections. Our alliance partner has come out clean and with this the Congress and Manmohan Singh ji have come out clean and their stand vindicated,” said Congress leader Su Thirunavakkarasar.
“No Congresman or our leader Sonia Gandhi has hand in any scam as was being alleged by the BJP,” he said.
“What the does the BJP that went to town with these allegations and ran its 2014 general elections on the basis of lies and falsehood say now,” said Tamil Nadu Congress chief S Thirunavukkarasar.
Tamil Maanila Congress leader G K Vasan, who was a minister in the UPA government, said: “The BJP had used the 2G scam as the bhramastram” and it had falsely charged us and won the elections through falsehood.”
The court verdict came as a by-election was being held in Chennai’s RK Nagar assembly, the constituency of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK’s decades-long rival.