Maran feels party supremo 'misled'
Declining to elaborate on who "misled" the DMK chief M Karunanidhi, Maran says what hurt him the most was his grand uncle's suspicion.
Forced by the DMK to resign on Sunday from the Union Cabinet, Dayananidhi Maran on Monday said he has not indulged in any anti-party activities and felt the party supremo has been "misled" by someone who tried to capitalise on the opportunity.
Declining to elaborate on who "misled" M Karunanidhi and what was the opportunity being capitalised, Maran was still deferential to the DMK patriarch saying what had hurt him most was the "suspicion" about him in his grand uncle's mind.
"I don't care about the ministerial berth. Ministry does not make any difference to me. I am only sad that an accusation has been put on me that I indulged in anti-party activities.
"Someone has tried to capitalise the opportunity," Maran told reporters at his residence a day after he sent his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Asked whether he felt that his leader has been misled into believing that he has indulged in anti-party activities which led to his exit from cabinet, Maran said, "I presume so".
"I do not know what anti-party activities I have done. I could not even dream of any anti-party activities against my leader or the party," he said.
"I was born and would die as a DMK worker. Even if they expel me, I will be a DMK sympathiser," he added.
Maran also distanced himself from "Dinakaran", which had published a survey that brought to the boil the family feud, and triggered his exit from the government, and SUN TV, both owned by his elder brother Kalanidhi Maran. "I have nothing to do with them."
The 41-year-old MP from Central Madras said he would meet Karunanidhi but not to discuss these developments. He said he has spoken to the prime minister and the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi both of whom were "little upset" over his leaving the government.
To a question on the feud in the family, Maran said he shared "good relations" with both Stalin and MK Alazhagiri. He said he has not received any showcause notice from the party.
Maran said that it was his leader's decision that he quit the ministry and if leadership wished that he should leave the Lok Sabha membership, "I will work as a supporter of the party".
"I am not going to ask for reinstatement in the ministry," he said. Asserting that he was still a member of DMK party, he said that he came into politics because of his party and the leader.
To a question if at any point of time he tried to destabilise Stalin, he said "such a situation never occurred nor will occur".
Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Live Updates, Bihar Board 12th Result Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.