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Jaya bows down to pressure

George Iype in Madras

Failing health of former chief minister M Karunanidhi, intense pressure from the Centre and threat of withdrawal of support from coalition partners forced the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to release the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi from the central prison on Wednesday.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders admitted that the decision to free Karunanidhi was primarily because of his bad health and the public resentment building up across the state over the DMK leaders' arrests.

On Wednesday, a team of doctors from the Government General Hospital in Madras examined Karunanidhi and submitted a report to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and the jail authorities. The medical report urged the government to shift Karunanidhi to the intensive care unit.

But Karunanidhi's refusal to be moved to the hospital's ICU and insistence to remain in the prison forced Jayalalithaa to immediately order the 78-year-old former chief minister's release.

"We do not want to precipitate the crisis. We have taught Karunanidhi that our government is also capable of sending him to jail," an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader at the Madras party headquarters commented.

He said the increasing public resentment against the pre-dawn arrest of Karunanidhi was also a serious cause for concern to the AIADMK. Police intelligence reports also said thousands of DMK workers have been travelling to Madras from across the state to meet Karunanidhi in prison and demand his release.

Ever since the Jayalalithaa government received a stern warning from the Vajpayee government on Tuesday, it was expected that the AIADMK regime would not dare proceed on a collision course against the Centre. That would have meant the imposition of Article 355 of the Constitution, to begin with.

Added to the worry of the Jayalalithaa government was the tough stand taken by AIADMK's two coalition partners - the Pattali Makkal Kacchi and the Tamil Maanila Congress.

PMK President Dr S Ramadoss went to the prison on Tuesday and met Karunanidhi, much to the chagrin of Jayalalithaa. Ramadoss on his part thoroughly criticised the police over the manner in which the DMK president was arrested.

On Wednesday, TMC leader G K Moopanar met Jayalalithaa and strongly put up the case for the release of Karunanidhi. He is said to have advised Jayalalithaa to put an end to the political crisis immediately failing which the state government will be in deep trouble.

A couple of senior BJP leaders from Delhi are also said to have spoken to Jayalalithaa requesting her to soften the stand and end the political turmoil by releasing Karunanidhi.

DMK leaders proclaimed that the Jayalalithaa government has lost its face following its crackdown on Karunanidhi and others.

"The arrest of Karunanidhi, Stalin, the central ministers and thousands of DMK workers have boomeranged on Jaylalithaa. She must be regretting her action now," claimed former DMK law minister Aladi Aruna.

He said now that Jayalalithaa has buckled under pressure from all quarters, she is set get a thorough beating on the cases against Karunanidhi from the courts.

"The court has already pulled up the government. We will ensure that the Jayalalithaa government is humiliated before the courts," Aruna added.

Karunanidhi's Arrest: The Complete Coverage

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