Tapes reveal MK's fragile speaking, hearing powers

Kanimozhi, the only daughter of the DMK patriarch, who was lobbying for former Union Telecom Minister A Raja, clearly mentioned about the weak hearing powers of her father.

Selection

The conversation between corporate lobbyist Nira Radia and Kanimozhi is revolving around the selection of telecom minister and the possible opinion of the prime minister on the issue. The conversation is taped around the time when UPA-2 is in the saddle at the Centre and an intense tussle was on within the DMK and the family of Karunanidhi  to grab the key portfolios in the Union government.  

The conversation as published in “Outlook” magazine reveals as much as it conceals. 

Nira Radia: “They came in or, you know, told him or they must have spoken to him and the prime minister spoke to him.”

Kanimozhi:  “No. The prime minister did not. I was the one who was talking with him. I was on the phone and he—the prime minister—said a few words, that’s all. And see, the prime minister can’t talk on a phone to dad and convey, there is obviously… The prime minister is also, you know, very soft spoken and dad can’t hear that clearly also.”

Nira Radia:  “Mm-hmm.”

Kanimozhi: “ And the conversation was not so long that they could have conveyed all that.”

Nira Radia:  “Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.”

Kanimozhi:  “They might have told somebody that, you don’t know whether that person is conveyed (indiscernible).”

Nira Radia:  “Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Okay. Let me find out who they conveyed it to, my god there is so many people working on the thing, it’s unbelievable.”
In another conversation, former “India Today” journalist Shankkar Aiyar tells Radia it was difficult to understand what the DMK chief speaks. He says it is not easy to understand Karunanidhi’s Tamil diction.  

Nira Radia:  “Congress is not talking directly to Karunanidhi. They have to talk to… to him.”

Shankkar Aiyar: “Usmen bhi ek difficulty hai udhar. (Even there is a problem) I have… I have met Karunanidhi several times and despite my knowledge of Tamil, some of the times, you know, I can’t understand what he says.”

Nira Radia:  “No, but then toh he can ask Kani who is a neutral person.”

Shankkar Aiyar: “Haan… (Yeah) No! So hamesha main saath me meraa ek ladkaa hai Anand Natarajan karke udhar. Usko saath me le jata hoon (giggles) (So I take this guy with me, called Anand Natarajan there) Just in case I don’t underst… tsk.. Toh dekho… .“

The 86-year-old DMK leader is currently in a hill station reportedly to “cool off” the heat generated after the spectrum controversy.