Chief Minister M Karunanidhi asserted on Monday that the Government had nothing to do with the demolition notice served on the AIADMK office and party general secretary J Jayalalitha was barking up the wrong tree. Her statement in this regard amounted to contempt of court, he added.
In a statement, Mr Karunanidhi said the notice was served on the AIADMK by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority as per the decision taken by the High Court appointed committee to show cause why recent additions to the building should not be demolished for violation of rules.
Accusing Ms Jayalalitha of trying to mislead the party cadres and the public by claiming that the entire AIADMK headquarters built by party founder M G Ramachandran was sought to be razed, he said that the building was expanded in 1997-98 after she took over the reins of the party. An application made to the CMDA in 2000 for regularisation of additional structures was returned for want of proper documents.
He said Ms Jayalalitha, who was in power from 2001 to 2006, could have got the constructions regularised. Having kept quiet all these years, she was now barking up the wrong tree, he charged.
‘Right to reply’
He said mere issuance of notice did not mean automatic demolition. The party had the right to reply with proper documents to regularise the constructions.
He said the notice was issued by the CMDA on the basis of a decision taken by a committee appointed by the High Court. The committee was not required to inform the state government. As such the government had no say in the matter, he said.
Addressing a public meeting on Sunday night on the occasion of his 84th birthday, Mr Karunanidhi said the CMDA might have been unaware of the decision taken by the State Cabinet on May 26 to appoint a retired judge to review the demolition notices so far.
He said Ms Jayalalitha’s anger was not over the notice, but the recent action taken by the Nilgiris’ administration against construction of a bungalow in Kodanadu estate owned by persons close to her.
