Arrest helps Tamil Nadu govt blunt opposition attack

CHENNAI: Belated though the action, the ruling AI ADMK swung into damage control Agri' mode to arrest ` S S Krishnamoorthy, 44 days after agriculture department official S Muthukumarasamy's suicide. With assembly polls barely a year away and speculation gaining strength about possible snap polls, it is imperative for AIADMK, which is anxiously awaiting the outcome of an appeal in the Karnataka high court by its chief J Jayalalithaa in the wealth case, to avoid ugly controversies that could weaken its poll prospects.
With all the ingredients of political drama and intrigue, this is the first big issue in four years of the AIADMK's current regime which has played out for such a long duration in public forums. The spotlight has remained on Muthukumarasamy's death with opposition parties demanding a CBI probe and sections of the media launching campaigns seeking 'justice' for the honest official's suicide. Known for their sharp criticisms and strong attacks on the ruling party , TNCC president E V K S Elangovan and PMK leader S Ramadoss have been consistent in raising their voice against the government on this issue. DMK's statewide protest, party Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi's visit to Muthukumarasamy's residence and the AAP protest increased pressure on the government. The protests intensi fied when IAS officer D K Ravi's suicide in Bengaluru grabbed national attention.
While the opposition tirade appears to have pushed the AIADMK government to arrest the former minister, the move, ironically , took the sting out of the sustained campaign by political rivals. There is a perception that this was yet another instance of Jayalalithaa showing a willingness to go all the way in her bid to appear firm and fair in upholding the law.As the protests picked up momentum, she first removed Krishnamoorthy from the party post before dropping him from the cabinet.
“The AIADMK seems to have taken such a step to preempt the opposition from creating consensus among the public. Krishnamoorthy's arrest is clearly a move to control damage,“ political analyst Gnani Sankaran told TOI. Senior AIADMK leaders believe that the stringent action taken against the former minister would give more mileage for the party.“Amma is known for her strict action. Unlike DMK, Amma is taking action against erring partymen,“ said an AIADMK MP .
So, it was not surprising that when Krishnamoorthy was picked up by the CBCID on Saturday evening, there were no supporters to hold his hand or cheer him. “Krishanmoorthy dropped Amma's name to save himself. She is not aware of what Krishanmoorthy has done. She took action after she came to know the truth,“ said AIADMK spokesperson C R Saraswathi.
AIADMK leaders also point to the DMK leadership's failure to crack the whip on many of its ministers, facing serious charges during the previous regime, barring N K K P Raja, who was arrested in an abduction and land grabbing case.But, no action was taken against former ministers like Veerapandi Arumugam and a few others who faced criminal charges, said a senior police officer.
“Power in AIADMK is centred on Jayalalithaa. So no other leader will have any followers or have a say in the party . But, the DMK leadership is always hesitant to take stringent action against its leaders as they are strong in their region,“ an analyst pointed out.