Chennai:
DMK, a key ally of the Congress-led UPA, has called for an emergency meeting of its executive on Monday. Recently, the party took a tough stand against the Centre move to hike diesel prices and its nod to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail. However, party sources say the meet would focus on evolving strategies to counter, what they call, the ruling AIADMK's continuing political vendetta.
Over the last few days, the state government has slapped fresh land grab and mining cases against three senior leaders - former ministers KN Nehru and Ponmudi, along with a senior party functionary Periasamy, in Tuticorin. The party feels this is an attempt by the ruling dispensation to put senior DMK leaders behind bars ahead of parliamentary polls.
This also comes at a time when DMK chief M Karunanidhi's grandson Durai Dayanithi's arrest is imminent in the granite scam case. On Tuesday, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court refused him anticipatory bail. He has been accused of illegal mining and stealing granite from a government quarry under the Mines and Minerals Act.
After Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa assumed office last year, the state police arrested scores of DMK leaders including former ministers on land grab charges. However, Ms Jayalalithaa has, in the past, claimed that land grab cases against DMK functionaries are based on genuine complaints.