Chennai:
The arrest of Kanimozhi is pushing her father's alliance with the Congress down a slippery slope. The recent elections delivered a body blow to M Karunanidhi who heads the DMK and is Kanimozhi's father. The DMK which had tied up with the Congress for the elections delivered one if its worst-ever performances.
"Kanimozhi had travelled from one place to another for campaigning. She worked hard for DMK's victory...she's in prison either because of the Centre's order or indifference or some other reason," said Mr Karunanidhi in his constituency of Tiravur on Sunday.
Kanimozhi is reportedly her father's favourite child; like her two stepbrothers Alagiri and Stalin, she was a practitioner of considerable power within her father's party. Mr Karunanidhi said her condition in jail worries him. "You know a flower kept there will wither away quickly due to the temperature there."
In May, Kanimozhi was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe along with another DMK leader, A Raja, who has been in jail since February for engineering the 2G scam. When he was Telecom Minister in 2008, Mr Raja sold mobile network licences and spectrum for a pittance to companies who had allegedly conspired with him in a private and illicit partnership. One of those companies -Swan Telecom - allegedly sent Mr Raja a kickback of 214 crores via a maze of companies. The cheque was deposited with Kalaignar TV, which is owned partly by Kanimozhi and her stepmother. Kanimozhi's lawyers have argued in court that she was not involved with the business transactions conducted by those who manage her channel - a stand Mr Karunandihi reiterated. "I compelled her to become a shareholder with a view to secure her future," he said.
Kanimozhi had been interrogated repeatedly about her role in the 2G scam before she was arrested. Her father had then blamed the CBI for turning her interrogation into a media spectacle.
While both the Congress and he have said their alliance remains unaffected, both sides have been sounding unconvinced, especially after their team was battered in the elections.