Acquitted in 2G case, A Raja and Kanimozhi welcomed by M K Stalin in Chennai

Two days their acquittal in the 2G spectrum case, Rajya Sabha MP M Kanimozhi and former telecom minister A Raja were welcomed by DMK working president MK Stalin in Chennai on Saturday. The two were welcomed by a throng of DMK supporters today. Kanimozhi was in the city as both the Houses of the Parliament have been adjourned till December 27 for Christmas break.

As party supporters celebrated her first visit to Chennai since the acquittal in the case, a visibly emotional Kanimozhi hugged her brother.

Following the special CBI court verdict on Saturday, which said the prosecution did not provide enough evidence against the accused, the 49-year-old parliamentarian said the past six years had been “harrowing.” Kanimozhi also said she was chargesheeted with the sole aim “to tag my name with a mind-boggling amount to make sure that Kalaignar’s rule will not continue for the next five-year term.”

Former telecom minister A Raja, who was acquitted along with Kanimozhi, claimed on Friday that the “2G scam” was a conspiracy hatched to dethrone the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. Raja also thanked the senior leadership for taking a stand for him over the years. “You are my saviour and I submit this historical verdict at your feet,” he wrote in a letter to DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.

DMK working president Stalin said Raja, had adopted “progressive measures” in allocating 2G spectrum aimed at the welfare of the poorer sections of the society. He also said the efforts to “taint DMK” had made the party stronger. “The DMK, after having faced insults and slander for baseless false charges, swam through the river of fire, and after seven years has emerged as gold refined by fire,” he wrote in a letter to the party members.

The verdict in the 2G spectrum allocation cases has come as a huge boost in morale for the DMK, which has faced nearly a decade-long political embarrassment due to corruption charges against its senior leaders, including defeats to the AIADMK in successive Assembly elections. A DMK leader also said the verdict has inadvertently shut the doors on the political future of actors like Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Vishal for now, who were looking at capitalising the larger anti-incumbency trends and corruption.