Own only Rs 6 crore and house: Karuna

Stung by the Opposition’s allegations that the DMK chief has amassed huge amounts of wealth in the wake of the 2G spectrum scam revelations, Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday disclosed his entire assets — Rs 6 crore and a house in the heart of Chennai.

Stung by the Opposition’s allegations that the DMK chief has amassed huge amounts of wealth in the wake of the 2G spectrum scam revelations, Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday disclosed his entire assets — Rs 6 crore and a house in the heart of Chennai.

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Rejecting AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa’s description of him being the richest man in Asia, the CM listed all his acquisitions and earnings since the days he entered the Tamil film industry as a scriptwriter in the mid-1940s.

In an emotive 10-page letter to his party cadres, the 87-year-old DMK patriarch pointed out that his only house in Gopalapuram in central Chennai had been bought for Rs 45,000 from his film industry earnings, much before he first became a minister in 1967. At today’s market prices, the house is said to be worth Rs 4 crore.

“Even my house in Gopalapuram, I have already willed to be converted into a hospital for the poor. Apart from this, I have no other immovable property... nor have I added to any of my acquisitions...” he declared.

“Even my first car, a Vauxhall, was partly funded by industry colleague late NS Krishnan,” he said.

Regarding his monetary wealth, the CM said, “I possess a sum of Rs 5.65 crore in fixed deposits and R35.90 lakh in my savings bank account.”

NO RIFT WITH CONGRESS

Karunanidhi on Tuesday expressed concern at reports hinting at a rift between his party and the Congress.

His apprehension came at a time when finance minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to scotch speculation that the two allies might part ways. Reports quoted the CM as saying in Vellore that the Congress would suffer a loss if it snapped ties with the DMK. Karunanidhi alleged that the media had quoted him out of context.