DMK MP and Union IT and Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran has reportedly offered to step down from the Union Cabinet in the wake of the ongoing feud between the Maran and Karunanidhi families.
Two days after an attack on the office of Dinakaran daily, protesting against the publication of an opinion poll portraying Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s son M K Azhagiri in poor light, the Marans rushed to the chief minister’s residence on Friday in an apparent bid to buy peace.
Informed sources said Mr Maran had handed over his resignation letter to Mr Karunanidhi. But, a visibly upset and annoyed chief minister refused to accept it, stating he should give it to Prime Minister Manmohan singh.
Meanwhile, Mr Maran, who boarded a Coimbatore flight on Saturday morning, parried questions about rumours on his resignation.
Mr Maran had visited the airport to receive Dr Singh and AICC President Sonia Gandhi on Friday evening.
He was not present   during the special address delivered by the governor in the assembly on Friday.
Meanwhile, efforts were on for a patch-up by the family members to smoothen the ruffled feathers.
That the Marans were also ready for peace was evident from the fact that the Sun TV and Dinakaran, both owned by them, have changed their stand in respect of Mr Azhagiri in connection with the Madurai violence.
Speaker mum
At the same time, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has declined to comment on reports about Maran’s resignation.
"I don’t know," Mr Chatterjee, who arrived here on Saturday from New Delhi to felicitate Mr Karunanidhi on the completion of his 50 years as a legislator.