JOIN US'Ready to face inquiry,' says Sasikala on Jayalalithaa death probe
Putting up a brave face, V K Sasikala has expressed her willingness to face “any inquiry” with regard to the death of J Jayalalithaa after the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission that probed the hospitalisation and subsequent death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister found “fault” with her and three others.
“I outright reject the allegations made against me (by the Commission). I am ready to face any inquiry conducted against me in this regard,” Sasikala said in a statement. She added that all decisions on Jayalalithaa’s treatment was taken by doctors at Apollo Hospitals in consultation with their counterparts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and that people will not “believe” the findings of the Commission that are based on speculation.
Sasikala, who was blamed by the Commission for maintaining secrecy on Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation and treatment at Apollo, said people who did not “have the guts” to oppose Jayalalithaa politically are now politicising her death.
“People will not accept such blatant politicization of Amma’s (Jayalalithaa’s) death any longer. People have also understood that there is no mystery in her death,” Sasikala said in the statement, taking potshots at DMK for trying to seek “mileage” out of the issue.
The former AIADMK interim general secretary also refuted the claims by the Commission that she interfered in the treatment protocol of Jayalalithaa. She also said it was the doctors who decided not to perform angiography on Jayalalithaa, in response to the questions raised by Justice Arumughaswamy on why treatment was given only for sepsis, but no action was taken against advice to go for an angiography.
“I never interfered in the functioning of the doctors or in their decisions. I don’t have any medical knowledge to advise them. My only intention then was to provide the best treatment to akka (sister) so that she was back home with good health. I was never against taking her abroad for treatment,” Sasikala added in the statement.
Jayalalithaa, who was wheeled into the Apollo Hospitals here on September 22, 2016, passed away on December 5 following a cardiac arrest the previous day. The former CM’s death triggered a massive controversy with her own party colleagues – notably Panneerselvam – casting doubts on the treatment given to her, hinting at foul play, and pointing to the role of V K Sasikala.
The constitution of the Commission was more political than to dispel any doubts as this was the key demand of Panneerselvam to merge his faction with the one led by Edappadi K Palaniswami. After dodging the commission for years, Panneerselvam finally appeared before justice Arumughaswamy in March this year and said he had no suspicion “personally” over the death of the AIADMK supremo and that he was only “reflecting” public sentiments.