Responding to the Justice Arumughaswamy Commission report, which blamed her for the circumstances leading to the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2016, VK Sasikala said this was not the first time she has been blamed for a mishap. This blame game had started when she joined hands with Jayalalithaa, she said. “The truth will win. People will not accept the constant politicisation of ‘puratchi thalaivi’ (revolutionary leader) Amma’s death,” Sasikala said in a statement on Twitter on the night of Tuesday, October 18.
Alleging that instead of eulogising Jayalalithaa, people have been politicising her death, she added, “Those who were against the party (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), those who wanted to destroy the party, especially the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), and those who wished to defame Amma and her achievements have succeeded. It is sadder that our own party members became scapegoats.”
Calling the Commission’s report a move to sideline her politically, Sasikala said that building a controversy around Jayalalithaa’s death to do that was “extremely cruel”. “Puratchi thalaivi Amma and I might not have been born from the same womb. But we have always been like sisters. I treat this as a blessing God has given me in this lifetime,” she said.
Rejecting the findings of the Justice Arumughaswamy report, Sasikala further said, “They can investigate Amma’s death as many times as they want, and in whatever form they want to. But the truth will not change. Amma had been receiving treatment in the hospital and went back home after she was cured. But unfortunately, she passed away after that. This is the truth that the people and party members have accepted.”
In her statement, she asked, “How is it fair that the Commission’s report made many assumptions and blamed me? For the sake of some people’s political gain, to satisfy them, the report has made some controversial allegations about our relationship.”
Adding that people had tried to take advantage of her and Jayalalithaa’s separation, Sasikala said they had once ‘pretended’ to part ways to see what was going on. After they understood what was happening, they joined hands again, she said. But the report said that she and Jayalalithaa had a tumultuous relationship since 2012. Sasikala asked for the proof to validate such an assumption. “What is the motivation behind making such a false, absurd statement? For whose political gain was this statement made? We will let the people decide,” she said.
“Unlike what the report said, I have never interfered with Amma’s medical treatment. I have not studied medicine to interfere with her treatment. The team of doctors decided what kind of treatment and medicines should be given,” Sasikala said, adding that Apollo Hospitals is not the kind of hospital that would consult her before treating Jayalalithaa. She also said that she has never stood in the way of Jayalalithaa receiving treatment from foreign countries.
“I am ready to face any type of questioning and investigation,” Sasikala stated, further adding that there was no conspiracy surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death and that nobody can destroy her legacy.