CHENNAI: When union minister Nirmala Sitharaman invoked in Parliament the dramatic scenes in TN Assembly on March 25, 1989, she presented as factual an allegation that is disputed to this day.
Responding to DMK MP Kanimozhi’s allusion to Draupathi’s disrobing while speaking on sexual violence Manipur, Sitharaman referred to the violence in the House. She alleged that the saree of late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was pulled as she was attacked by DMK members. Is that what happened?
On March 26, 1989, the incidents dominated this newspaper’s front page, the lead article headlined: Jayalalithaa assaulted, Karunanidhi too. According to the report, there was tension that day over what course the AIADMK would take over a resignation letter purportedly written by Jayalalithaa that had found its way to Speaker Thamizhkudimagan. “When the House assembled at 11 am for the presentation of budget for 1989-90 by Karunanidhi, who also holds the finance portfolio, first Mr Kumari Ananthan and then Ms Jayalalithaa rose on points of order demanding that the privilege notices given by them be taken up immediately,” the report says.
The Speaker did not take up the notices but called on the CM to present the budget. When Karunanidhi rose to speak, Jayalalithaa “also stood up and started reading from a prepared text.” The CM covered his microphone and made a crass remark that left Jayalalithaa “visibly taken aback” although she continued reading. The CM repeated the comment with the mic covered and violence broke out.
TNIE said Karunanidhi was attacked by AIADMK members, budget papers torn and his spectacles broken. He was escorted out by the marshalls. Meanwhile, DMK members started throwing pads and papers, at Jayalalithaa while S Thirunavukkarasu and KKSSR tried to protect her. The paper notes she was “virtually in tears” by the time she was escorted out. Later, she told reporters that Duraimurugan had grabbed her saree and torn it. Duraimurugan and the DMK denied the charge.
Multiple witnesses told TNIE that an exchange of heated words between the two leaders did take place. But, none recalled her saree being pulled. According to former AIADMK MLA Musiri M Thangavel, “After the argument, a clash erupted between members of ruling dispensation and opposition. She was pushed down and we safely escorted her out of the House.”
Congress MP Thirunavukkarasar, then deputy opposition leader of the House, said both the claims of both sides were exaggerated. “After Jayalalithaa demanded the adjournment motion be taken up instead of the budget, ruling party members raised their voices against her. A commotion erupted and members of both sides tore the budget papers and threw them. Some threw books on Jayalalithaa and she fell. Neither was Jayalalithaa’s saree pulled at nor was Karunanidhi attacked.”
He asked why Jayalalithaa had failed to initiate an inquiry into the incident after assuming office in 1991 if her claims were true. Former minister KP Krishnan said, “We demanded she take criminal action against Karunanidhi. But, she said people had punished him in 1991 election.”
T Koodalarasan, veteran journalist, who was present, said, “I was later told by an MLA from Jaya faction that they had planned to stall the budget presentation to establish themselves as only party that could strongly oppose Karunanidhi.”