If there was any doubt that the first family of Tamil Nadu is deeply divided, here’s proof.
Union minister MK Alagiri and sister Kanimozhi flew together from Chennai to New Delhi on Tuesday, but did not speak a word to each other throughout the journey.
Alagiri, the eldest son of Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, and Kanimozhi, the DMK boss’ daughter from his third wife, were both in the executive class of an Indian Airlines flight but did not even look at each other, much to the surprise of fellow passengers.
After disembarking from the aircraft, they took the same bus to the airport terminal, but chose to ignore each other.
A couple of ADMK MPs who also travelled on the aircraft were baffled at the public display of the cold war in the Karunanidhi family. Senior bureaucrats and police officers at the airport were also equally bemused by the turn of events.
The A Raja episode could have the answer. After the 2G scam surfaced, Alagiri and MK Stalin, another son of Karunanidhi, were gunning for the telecom minister’s head.
Kanimozhi, however, was supporting Raja all through, even after he was forced to resign.
Karunanidhi, too, supported Raja in larger political interest and declared publicly that he had done no wrong, a victory for Kanimozhi in the bitter family dispute.
The result was there to see for all on Tuesday, when she and Alagiri came face-to-face for the first time after the 2G fiasco.
