- M. K. Alagiri
-
M. K. Azhagiri 
Thiru. M. K. Alagiri Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers In office
IncumbentPreceded by Ram Vilas Paswan Constituency Madurai Personal details Born Tamil Nadu Political party DMK Residence Madurai As of June 13, 2009 Muthuvel Karunanidhi Azhagiri (Tamil: முத்துவேல் கருணாநிதி அழகிரி), generally known as M. K. Alagiri, is an Indian politician and a Cabinet Minister. He is the second son of the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, M. Karunanidhi. His mother, Mrs. Dayaalu Ammal, is the second wife of M. Karunanidhi. His son is the film producer, Dayanidhi Azhagiri.
Although he harbored hopes of eventual accession to the post of President, Karunanidhi always appeared to prefer his younger son, M. K. Stalin, a former mayor of Chennai and the Ex - Deputy Chief minister of Tamil Nadu. In fact, in 2000, orders went out that party members should 'distance' themselves from Azhagiri.[1]
Following clashes between the supporters of M. K. Stalin and M. K. Alagiri, he was sent to manage the party in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu from Madurai, while M. K. Stalin was retained in Chennai to manage the party in the northern districts. M. K. Azhagiri, was acquitted along with 12 others on Thursday, by a sessions court of Chittor, Andrapradesh, in a case relating to the murder of a former DMK minister for want of reliable evidence.[citation needed]
The succession crisis came out into the open when party members loyal to Alagiri attacked the Madurai office of Dinakaran and set it to fire, in which three staffs were burnt. Dinakaran is a part of the Sun TV group owned by Kalanidhi Maran.[2] He is also accused of conspiring in the murder of the former DMK Minister, T. Kiruttinan.[3] Also, according to secret cables revealed by Wikileaks through The Hindu, he gave away ₨ 5,000 as a bribe to each voter through the morning newspaper in the January 2009 Assembly by-election at Thirumangalam and around ₨ 500 per voter in the 2009 Parliamentary elections.[4]
Contents
Controversies
He was accused as the main conspirator in the murder of the former Highways Minister, `Pasumpon' T. Kiruttinan, in 2003.[5] But he was later acquitted cause the prosecution was unable to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.[6]
Case against Alagiri aides
The Madras High Court allowed the CBI to appeal against the acquittal of 16 supporters of Union Chemicals Minister M K Alagiri in the Tamil Daily Dinakaran burning case in which three employees were killed in May/9/2007[7]. In addition to these 16 accused, the acquittal of a police officer who was charged with negligence of duty will also be reviewed[7]. Thus the case, which rocked Tamil Nadu while Alagiris father Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister, is being revived more than 18 months after a trial court had acquitted all the 17 accused[7]. In May 2007, after the Dinakaran, owned by the Maran brothers, published an opinion poll on Karunanidhis preferred political successors in which it gave a poor popularity rating for Alagiri, his supporters went on a rage and set fire to the Tamil Dailys office in Madurai, where Alagiri then lorded over as an uncrowned king. Three employees who were caught inside died after inhaling noxious fumes. Under public pressure, Karunanidhi had transferred investigation of the case to the CBI. However, in December 2009, a trial court acquitted all the accused citing lack of evidence[7] [8].
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers M.K. Alagiri recently visited Palayamkottai Central Prison in Madurai to meet four of his close aides, arrested in a land grabbing case. The DMK leader went to console his "friends" on Wednesday, a day after they were arrested on a complaint that they forced a woman to sell her property worth Rs 4.36 crore for just Rs 40 lakh when the DMK was in power in Tamil Nadu. The four people arrested were G. Thalapathi, N. Suresh Babu alias 'Pottu' Suresh (both DMK executive committee members), Krishna Pandi and Kodi Chandrasekharan. Suresh Babu is said to be a close political aide of Alagiri. Alagiri later defended them and quoted his father, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, that false case had been foisted on them[9].
Land grab case
In 2011, a series of land grab cases were filed against Alagiri's close associates and several of them have been arrested. News outlets and the J. Jayalalitha led government have accused Alagiri and his family of complicity in a number of land grab cases.[10][11]
References
- ^ Tehelka - The People's Paper
- ^ DNA - India - Sun Network accuses Alagiri as being main culprit in Dinakaran attack! - Daily News & Analysis
- ^ "The Hindu : Magistrate extends judicial custody for Azhagiri". Hinduonnet.com. 2003-07-31. http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/07/31/stories/2003073105750400.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
- ^ Hiddleston, Sarah (2011-03-16). "The Hindu : ‘Cash for votes a way of political life in South India’". Chennai, India: thehindu.com. http://www.thehindu.com/news/the-india-cables/article1541302.ece. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
- ^ "4 DMK men held, Azhagiri role confirmed". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2003-05-28. http://www.hindu.com/2003/05/28/stories/2003052805270400.htm.
- ^ "Azhagiri acquitted in Kiruttinan murder case". http://news.oneindia.in/2008/05/08/azhagiri-acquitted-in-kiruttinan-murder-case-1210260774.html.
- ^ a b c d "case against Alagiri aides". m k alagiri. freepressjournal.in. http://www.freepressjournal.in/news/6560-CBI-can-revive--case-against--Alagiri-aides.html. Retrieved 2011/08/04.
- ^ "case against Alagiri aides". m k alagiri. indianexpress.com. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dinakaran-attack-cbi-appeals-against-order/810635/. Retrieved 2011/08/04.
- ^ "case against Alagiri". m k alagiri. indiatoday.intoday.in. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/alagiri-visits-madurai-jail-meets-aides/1/145777.html. Retrieved 2011/08/04.
- ^ "case against Alagiri". m k alagiri. ibnlive.in.com. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/tamil-nadu-alagiri-dmk-leaders-grab-land/174701-37-64.html. Retrieved 2011/08/12.
- ^ "case against Alagiri". m k alagiri. truthdive.com. http://truthdive.com/2011/08/11/kanthi-alagiri-in-land-grab-proves-cnn-ibn.html. Retrieved 2011/08/12.
External links
Political offices Preceded by
Ram Vilas PaswanMinister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Incumbent Categories:- 1951 births
- Living people
- 15th Lok Sabha members
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