Chennai: DMK President M Karunanidhi on Thursday defended former Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran and blamed the media for defaming him. Addressing a press conference in Chennai just a few hours after Maran resigned from the Union Cabinet following a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report that he arm-twisted Aircel owner C Sivasankarn to sell his 74 per cent stake to Maxis group of Malaysia, Karunanidhi said that the media has been ruling in India and "if it wants it can defame anyone, Dayanidhi Maran is no exception".
Karunandhi also denied reports that he gave the go-ahead to Maran to resign after speaking to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday night.
"No body from the UPA or the Congress has contacted me. I did not speak to Sonia Gandhi last night," said Karunanidhi. He added that reports that he wrote a letter to Sonia were not true.
He said that the DMK would support Maran.
"We have not made any demands for the cabinet during the reshuffle. The party will back Dayanidhi Maran." he said.
Maran resigned from Union Cabinet on Thursday following reports of his involvement in the Aircel-Maxis deal.
Maran is the second Union Minister and DMK leader to step down from the Cabinet following allegations of involvement in the 2G spectrum scam after former telecom minister A Raja. Raja and DMK MP and Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi have already been arrested in the 2G scam and are presently lodged in New Delhi's Tihar Jail.
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