Mistakes of Karunanidhi & Misfortune of Kanimozhi

With the noose tightening around Kanimozhi in the 2G case…the Grand old man of Tamil Nadu Politics - Karunanidhi is desperate. Sources in the DMK say his desperation has crossed all limits. DMK’s octogenarian president is a worried man. But one mistake after another committed by Karunanidhi is something that has led to this fiasco.

The latest is his statement criticizing judiciary in the wake of denying bail for Kani. In the past Karunanidhi never used to take jibes at judiciary and would carefully avoid criticizing the judiciary.  Criticism of the judiciary would be left out to his Ministers or his perennial stooge K.Veeramani of Dravidar Kazhagam.  But Karunanidhi in a statement has said that  "If courts, one of the pillars of Indian democracy, hesitated to provide legal rights and protect the basics of the law, a question will rise in everybody's mind where Indian democracy is going and about its future.”  This is uncharacteristic of Karunanidhi.  So here is a list of 10 big blunders committed by DMK Patriach that had led to his pet daughter cooling her heels in Tihar.

Mistake No.1

Karunanidhi’s first mistake was to make Dayanidhi Maran as the telecom minister.  When Dayanidhi Maran, was looking after their family magazine Kungumam…He was brought into the party fold and made an MP… hoping that he will act as his father. Karuna claimed that Murasoli Maran was his conscience. Bring Daya into the party raised many eyebrows in the party, But Karunanidhi closed the murmuring mouths by saying that Daya’s talent was known to him even when Daya was a Kid…and finally Daya showed his talent by unsheathing the dagger and stabbing him in his back.

Mistake No.2

Karunanidhi’s second mistake, which is connected with the first one, was choosing Dayanidhi Maran over Kanimozhi.   The offer of contesting as an MP candidate in the central Madras constituency was first offered to Kanimozhi.   But a reluctant Kanimozhi declined the offer.  Had Karunanidhi convinced Kanimozhi and made her an MP and then a Minister, Kanimozhi would have been accepted by his party cadres and Kani would have learnt the ropes in Delhi.   But a delayed planting of Kanimozhi into politics has not only spoilt Kanimozhi’s chances but also allowed the KD brothers to grow into humongous proportions.  

Mistake No.3

Karunanidhi’s third mistake was allowing the KD brothers to run riot in the state.   KD brothers slowly and meticulously built their empire on the toil of DMK cadres.   It was KD brothers who made full use of the government machinery and party machinery to advance their interests.  Till the burning of Dinakaran employees, Karunanidhi turned a Nelson’s eye to Marans excesses.  In fact Karunanidhi gave the impression to party’s second level leaders that the both Kala and Daya are no less equivalent to his wards.    The KD brothers using their media power planted stories in leading bi-weeklies, weeklies and fortnightlies about both A.Raja and Kanimozhi. 

Mistake No.4

Karunanidhi’s fourth mistake was his patronage to A.Raja.  Even after four generations of money making…Karunanidhi never said no to money that was given by A Raja after becoming Telecom minister. Karunanidhi who was once bitten by Sarkaria Commission should have become alert that such Delhi Money for Karunanidhi would always pose a problem in the future.   Karunanidhi also failed to gauge the cunning Congress in proper perspective.   Karunanidhi underestimated A Raja’s ulterior designs and Congress party’s cunningness. Instead Karuna thought that Congress is always there to help him.

Mistake No.5

Karunanidhi’s fifth mistake was to commence Kalaignar TV.    When the KD brothers were declared persona non grata by Karuna his mind failed to work and his emotions clouded his thinking.  Instead of asking party men to start a TV channel and back the party, a greedy Karunanidhi made his wife and daughter to be the Directors in the TV channel.   No person would dare to disobey the diktat of Karuna, who has the last word in the party affairs.   If government backing is assured to the TV channel, any senior leader in the party would have been more than willing to start a channel.   With so many educationists with Engineering and Medical colleges in Karuna’s party, this would not have been that much difficult. 

Mistake No.6

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Karunanidhi’s sixth mistake was under estimating the 2G scam.  Karuna who used to be a shrewd politician should have seen the writing on the wall.   When the news about 2G scam started leaking in the media, Karunanidhi should never have attempted to defend A Raja and the scam. But on the advice of some of the then state intelligence and party leaders Karunanidhi organized public meetings in support of A.Raja and defended the entire spectrum allocation.   The general public who were already sick of Karunanidhi’s melodramatic lies in the Eelam issue were not ready to buy this suspicious rhetoric. In fact the reverse of what Karuna expected happened.   Street meetings and campaigns in their family televisions about A.Raja’s good deeds had a counter effect which was reflected in the assembly polls. Karunanidhi got carried away by what people around him who made the situation from bad to worse.

Mistake No.7

Trusting congress was Karunanidhi’s seventh mistake.  Karunanidhi who claims to be in public life for more than 60 years failed to assess the wickedness of the congress.   Karuna who was in a comfortable position in UPA.1 failed to enjoy the same clout in UPA.II.   The Congress party which was at the receiving end in UPA.I saw UPA.II as a payback time.     Karuna unsuspectingly fell in a cleverly laid trap by the Congress.   Given the permutations and combinations in the UPA.II Karunanidhi should have been alert when the congress party refused to give the ministerial berths and portfolios required by the DMK.   Karunanidhi’s tantrums of boycotting the swearing in ceremony failed to cut ice with the Congress high command.  Further, Karuna wishfully believed the lip service offered by congress leaders that there was no scam in 2G allocation.   Even Manmohan Singh for a long time had been maintaining that all was well in the spectrum allocation.  But Congress’ act of Judas has landed Kani in a quicksand.

Mistake No.8

Karunanidhi’s eighth mistake was underestimating the Judiciary. After Kanimozhi’s arrest Karunanidhi was advised by his stooges that by engaging Ram Jethmalani they can easily secure bail.  Whispers in the air is that Ram Jethmalani was paid a huge amount and was brought to Delhi in a special aircraft to defend Kanimozhi.   A simple enquiry with any senior lawyer in Delhi’s legal circles would clearly reveal that Ram Jethmalani is not liked by Judges due to his melodrama and rash behavior. Karunanidhi thought that Judiciary was yet another arm of the Congress and it can be easily influenced like the CBI…even now he is attempting to sabotage the court monitored investigations by hook or crook...but his calculations went wrong and now Karunanidhi is facing the wrath of the judiciary.

Mistake No.9

Karunanidhi’s ninth mistake was making Kanimozhi an MP. Kanimozhi who is new to the world of cutthroat politics, lacked the shrewdness of his father.   Kani who was made the Delhi face of DMK after Maran immediately fell into the trap of corporate monsters.   Her association with Nira Radia which opened a pot of gold for Kani and her mother made Kani a greedy woman. After entering into politics Kani carefully severed her literary acquaintances and her circle was filled with sharks like Ravikumar of VCK and Jegath Gasper Raj.   Karunanidhi also made a huge mistake by allowing Kanimozhi to flaunt her strength through the cultural fest Chennai Sangamam with the active participation of Jegath Gasper.   Such activities by Kanimozhi were detested not only by half brothers but also the general public.

Mistake No.10

Karunanidhi’s last but not the least mistake is meeting Sonia, PM and other congress leaders with a begging bowl and seeking help for Kani.   A few minutes thinking with clarity would make Karuna clearly understand it was Congress’ plan all along to shift the entire blame of 2G scam on DMK.     The Congress which had cleverly pushed DMK into this mess would never bail out any of the 2G accused and take the risk of bringing the probe onto its doorsteps.   Taking the Congress head on would have made the Sonia and PM jittery. But Karuna’s attempt to prostrate before the Congress party was nothing but digging his own grave.

Even after all this…the biggest mistake of M Karunanidhi is to believe people around him and trust what they say…DMK insiders say that Karunanidhi is still kept in dark in issues relating to the 2G case…and its clear that the people around him are turning the Chanakya into a clown.