DMK Passes the Buck, Says Journalists Were Attacked by 'Infiltrators'

Chennai: Cases of attempted murder have been registered against a group of DMK workers who, on Sunday, assaulted journalists in Chennai for reporting that party leader MK Stalin had resigned.

The Chennai police has arrested 11 men, including a local youth wing leader, for beating up reporters and destroying their equipment at the party headquarters.

The DMK said it "regrets" the attack but claimed that the offenders are not members of the party. The party said "it suspects infiltration by anti-social elements."

Mr Stalin, who fronted the DMK campaign for the national election, resigned yesterday from his party posts, but changed his mind hours later. The turnaround was reportedly at the urging of his father, M Karunanidhi, who is DMK chief. (After DMK Disaster, Chief's Son Stalin Quits, Then Doesn't)

The entire episode was "a drama" said Mr Stalin's hostile older brother, MK Alagiri, who was expelled by their father from the DMK for indiscipline.

Furious that Mr Karunanidhi chose his brother over him as his political successor, Mr Alagiri waged a long and brazen war to undermine Mr Stalin and the decisions he took.

Mr Stalin decided not to ally with the Congress this time around. In 2009, the combination won 26 of Tamil Nadu's 39 parliamentary seats. This time, both parties scored zero.

The state has been swept by the ruling AIADMK, whose leader J Jayalalithaa is the chief minister. The AIADMK stacked up 37 of the 39 seats.

The DMK was part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition till March last year.

Top DMK leaders like A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran, both former union ministers, lost their constituencies. They are among the DMK top rung that has been badly tainted by charges of corruption. (Election Results 2014: Top Five Losers)