Days after the Income Tax department conducted raids on properties and premises linked to the the VK Sasikala family, her youngest brother and Mannargudi heavyweight V Dhivaharan has made a bizarre allegation, against J Jayalalithaa. Dhivaharan, who has so far blamed the Centre and claimed that the raids were political vendetta, now accuses the late Chief Minister of not ensuring any 'protection' to his sister Sasikala.
“Just imagine, if someone from your family happened to be with a powerful leader and did all the things said by the leader, and was still pushed to an unsafe situation later, then that is the best example for all women. It is a lesson for all,” he said on Saturday while responding to queries on the I-T raids. “Amma (Jayalalithaa) utilised her (Sasikala) fully, but went without giving her any protection,” he added.
Dhivaharan also lamented as to how Sasikala has been under a cloud of 'inquiry' since 1996, referring to the Disproportionate Assets case.
His comments are one of the family's rare volleys against J Jayalalithaa and come at a time when the I-T department is attempting to expose their alleged illegal financial dealings.
When asked about the recovery of pen drives and a laptop during an I-T search at Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence on Friday, he said, “I have been away from the garden for a long time.”
After conducting raids in 187 locations in the state, the I-T department raided the office block of the Poes Garden residence on Friday night.
Officials searched three rooms out of which one belonged to Poongundran, who was Jayalalithaa's personal assistant. The other two were ones used by Sasikala. Jayalalithaa's personal place was left untouched, according to reports.
Following Jayalalithaa's death, Sasikala continued to live in Poes Garden till her conviction in the DA case.
When informed about Dhivaharan’s statement, TTV Dhinakaran, who leads a faction of the party, dismissed it as a comment made in 'anguish'. "The fact that we helped and protected her, we see it as something to be proud of. We are grateful to her and whatever she has done. I don't feel that the case Chinamma is facing is because of her,” he told Puthiya Thalaimurai.