Jayalalithaa video release a conspiracy ahead of RK Nagar bypoll, says AIADMK

A video said to be of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa was released by a leader of the TTV Dinakaran camp a day before a by-election to the city’s RK Nagar assembly constituency.

The ruling AIADMK hit out at the VK Sasikala family Wednesday over the release of a purported hospital video of late J Jayalalithaa, saying it was a “conspiracy” and a “demeaning” act with an eye on RK Nagar bypoll slated for December 21.

People pay their respects to the late AIADMK supremo and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa on her first death anniversary at her memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai on Tuesday. (PTI)

The party said this amounted to bringing “disrepute” to the late Tamil Nadu chief minister’s fame and image.

“This demeaning (act) is a planned conspiracy by the Sasikala family to bring disrepute to Amma’s fame and image, done keeping in mind the (RK Nagar) bypoll,” said senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar.

AIADMK supporters and the people will not accept this, he told reporters in Chennai.

The minister also asked why the TTV Dhinakaran camp, which released the clip, did not approach the panel constituted by the state government to probe the death of the AIADMK supremo with the visual material.

The one-man enquiry commission headed by Justice A Arumughaswamy is probing the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation and medical treatment provided to Jayalalithaa till her demise on December 5 last year.

Sidelined AIADMK leader Dhinakaran, contesting as an independent, is taking on ruling party’s E Madhusudhanan after the RK Nagar seat fell vacant following Jayalalithaa’s death. Dhinakaran is nephew of Sasikala, who is currently lodged in a Bengaluru jail.

Jayakumar also sought to know who shot the video and if there was any security “breach” since the late chief minister was under Z plus NSG security cover.

“Whatever material one has in possession in connection with Jayalalithaa in this context, must only be submitted before the Commission which the government had constituted,” the minister said.

He demanded legal action against the Dhinakaran camp for the video, saying it amounted to poll code violation.