The Congress is distancing itself from the DMK on the 2G scam, suggesting that the latter will have to fight the legal and political battle on its own. The Dravadian party, which had failed to play a role of the “king maker” like TDP leader N. Chadrababu Naidu had played during the NDA regime and the Marxists in the UPA-I, is getting marginalised at the Centre.
Though AICC general secretary in-charge of the party affairs in Tamil Nadu, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said, “Our (Congress-DMK) relationship is very good, very strong and it will continue,” the current mood in the Congress and the UPA is not to defend the DMK after the 2G spectrum allocation scam put the entire Union government in the dock.
The spectrum allocation issue may or may not have influenced the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls but it has certainly embarrassed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Besides the draft report of the PAC on the 2G scam and the JPC’s probe could give fuel to the Opposition and the civil society groups in their fight against corruption.
The DMK is unlikely to remain a key player in the UPA irrespective of whether or not it retains power in Tamil Nadu. This is because members of the first family of the Karunanidhi led-DMK, Dayalu Ammal and Kanimozhi, have been linked to the scam.
“It is going to be a DMK versus DMK battle,” an AICC official, who did not want to be quoted, said hinting that the Karunanidhi-led party could make former telecom minister A. Raja a scapegoat to protect Ms Kanimozhi, the daughter of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi.