File photo of DMK President M Karunanidhi
DMK President M Karunanidhi on Tuesday lashed out at former Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju for his allegations on a Tamil Nadu judge, which has put his party under a cloud, and accused him of acting under 'indirect pressure'.
Breaking his silence on the issue which has triggered a major controversy, the 90-year-old former chief minister questioned Justice Katju's motives in raking up a decade-old matter and described it as an attempt to "defame the judiciary" despite being a part of it for several years.
"He has been making some allegations for the past two days due to some indirect compulsions. After having been a Judge for several years and rising upto the Supreme Court and now to level such allegations against the apex court chief justices themselves is only an attempt to defame the judiciary itself," Mr Karunanidhi said in his caustic remarks against Justice Katju.
In a statement headlined "Katju's dishonest comments strangulating the neck of judiciary", Mr Karunananidhi hit out at the Press Council Chairman saying he had made "unwarranted indirect reference to DMK".
Mr Karunanidhi, however, skirted any reference as to whether his party, which was an ally of the United Progressive Alliance or UPA for 10 years, had exerted pressure on the Prime Minister over the appointment of an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court, as alleged by Justice Katju.
Referring to a Facebook post of Justice Katju praising Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as a person who never interfered in the judiciary's functioning, he asked how was it published in a prominent newspaper.
"It is understood that at a time when the verdict on the disproportionate case against Jayalalithaa is nearing, planned news that sing peans to her are being disseminated with a view to exert pressure on the verdict," he said.
Seeking to know why Justice Katju remained silent all these years, he said, "did he remain reticent since he wanted the top slot in the Press Council of India."
Demanding to know why Justice Katju did not explicitly mention the name of the judge against whom he made allegations, he quipped,"only if he names the judge will the accused be able to come up with his reply."
Snubbing Justice Katju as "self-contradictory," he referred to several incidents including adverse criticism by the Union Minister Arun Jaitley against him last year and his retraction of his "90 per cent Indians fools statement" and his stance on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"He is a self-contradictory angry man and a bundle of contradictions. Anyone can understand about his allegations now and whom it is intended to help," the DMK chief said.