Karuna defends Maran, attacks media

Chennai(Tamil Nadu), July 7 (PTI) Unfazed by the
charges against Dayanidhi Maran that led to his exit from the
union cabinet, Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M
Karunanidhi Thursday said the party would stand by him and
attacked the media for the developments.
"Yes", was the emphatic reply given by Karunanidhi
when asked by reporters whether his party would back Maran,
hours after his grandnephew resigned making him the second DMK
casualty after A Raja in the 2G scam.
Karunanidhi had earlier said Maran would take care of
himself after his name cropped up in the 2G scam issue for
allegedly forcing telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his
company Aircel to a Malaysian firm when he was the telecom
minister in 2006.
Strongly criticising the media, Karunanidhi said, "In
the whole world, especially in a country like India, the media
is ruling and (it) can defame anyone. Dayanidhi Maran is no
exception."
He replied in the negative when asked whether any one
from the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government got in
touch with him ahead of Maran's resignation.
"I did not speak with (UPA Chairperson) Sonia Gandhi
or any one last night," the DMK patriarch said.
"It is your imagination," he shot back when asked
whether he wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Maran's
resignation.