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Karunanidhi not to `politicise' arrest

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, July 4

THE former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi, today said he did not wish to politicise the issue of his arrest, but wanted it to be viewed in the context of violation of human rights.

Addressing a press conference at the DMK headquarters here, after he was released from jail, he said that the Centre had taken the first step in tackling the issue of his arrest. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had spoken to him when he reac hed his residence.

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Government decided to release the former Chief Minister considering his age and on humanitarian grounds.

Mr Karunanidhi said that he was released only because of the groundswell of public opinion against his arrest and the manner in which it was effected and not for the reasons cited by the Government.

The DMK chief said that he was particular that the public realises the truth about his ordeal and the human rights violation that he had been subjected to. In an emotional recount of his arrest and the related events, he alleged that the police officials who had arrested him had physically assaulted him and manhandled his family members.

He pointed out that the DMK Government had gone about the arrest of Ms Jayalalitha in 1996 in a civilised manner and had meticulously followed the procedure and treated her in a humane manner. However, his own arrest by the AIADMK Government had been car ried out in a totally uncivilised manner, he said.

Regarding the Government version that it was Mr Maran who had precipitated the confusion and melee during the course of the arrest, Mr Karunanidhi said that the whole event appeared to be premeditated. The police had arrived at the dead of night, broken open doors and made the arrest without proper papers, he alleged and added that all this had taken place before Mr Maran's arrival.