Chennai, Dec 20: The TTV Dinakaran faction of the AIADMK has released a purported video of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a day before the crucial RK Nagar bypoll in Chennai.
In the video, the former AIADMK supremo is seen holding a glass and drinking from it, while reportedly watching TV.
The RK Nagar seat was represented by Jayalalithaa before she passed away in December last year. She was admitted to Apollo Hospital after complaining of infection, acute dehydration and the mystery over her death has evoked allegations, insinuations of foul play.
"Many have been asking how the video was shot. This was taken after she was moved from the ICU by VK Sasikala. I have released this video without consulting TTV Dinakaran or Sasikala. The merged AIADMK faction has been raising questions over Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation and I wanted to put an end to all conspiracy theories," said MLA S Vetrivel, who released the purported video of the former CM.
Jayalalithaa was in the hospital for three months last year until she died on December 5. Many had suggested that she was dead when she was brought to the hospital and she had been kept in there for political motives. Meanwhile, the Apollo hospital had said that Jayalalithaa was unconscious when she was brought on September 22.
The release of the video, just ahead of the bypoll, can be viewed as an attempt by the Dinakaran camp to clear the air over Jayalalithaa's death, which is already being investigated by a judicial commission.
After Jaya’s death, the Sasikala camp and the OPS-EPS camp has had a bitter parting. Both parties have considered the RK Nagar bypoll as a test case to claim Jaya's political legacy.
Dinakaran had earlier claimed that he has videos of Jayalalithaa watching television at Apollo hospital had been recorded by VK Sasikala – a close aide of the ex-CM, now serving a sentence in a corruption case. TTV made those comments after Tamil Nadu’s forest minister Dindigul C Srinivasan admitted he had lied about Jayalalithaa’s improving health.
“We have video recordings but we didn't want to degrade her (Jayalalithaa’s) dignity as she was wearing a night dress. My aunt (Sasikala) didn't permit us to use it except for a judicial probe. She had shot a video of Jayalalithaa watching television,” he said, adding that he is ready to hand over the footage to the judge who would probe Jayalalithaa’s death.
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