CHENNAI: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Jayalalithaa on Monday demanded the withdrawal of operational licence issued to Kalaignar TV and other channels.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said the channels were started with graft money and they should be taken off the air immediately.
The second charge sheet presented by the CBI in the 2G spectrum scam case indicated a clear kickbacks link between some key beneficiaries of the spectrum largesse doled out by the former Telecom Minister, A. Raja, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's family, she said in a statement, .
‘Link established'
“This link has been established through the Rs.214-crore payment made to Kalaignar TV through a maze of companies linked to Shahid Balwa, promoter of Swan Telecom, one of the biggest beneficiaries. Sixty per cent of Kalaignar TV is owned by Karunanidhi's second wife Dayalu Ammal, and 20 per cent belongs to Kanimozhi, Karunanidhi's daughter by his third wife Rajathi. Both Dayalu Ammal and Kanimozhi were questioned by the CBI some weeks ago,” she pointed out.
It was surprising that while Ms. Kanimozhi and Sharath Kumar (holding 20 per cent stake) were named in the charge sheet, Ms. Dayalu Ammal was left out. These issues deserved closer scrutiny.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said there was no justification for Mr. Balwa to pay Rs.214 crore to a just-launched Tamil TV channel in which he had no other interest, unless he was asked to do so by Mr. Raja as a quid pro quo for allotment of 2G spectrum licence.
Also, she noted, there was no need for Mr. Raja to make a demand for such payment to Kalaignar TV, an entity in which he was not involved, unless he was specifically asked to do so by his party leader Mr. Karunanidhi.
“The interests of justice would be served only if all the members of the Karunanidhi family, starting with the patriarch himself, are named in the charge sheet,” she said.
The buck did not stop with a mere mention of Ms. Kanimozhi in the charge sheet. Like the others charge-sheeted so far, she should be arrested. All other members of the Karunanidhi family who were direct or indirect beneficiaries in the scam should also be charge sheeted and arrested.
Trace money trail
“The money trail has to be fully traced. The funds that have been taken out of India should be recovered and brought back. Only then can the investigation into the mother of all scams reach its logical and desired conclusion,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said.
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