Chennai: DMK on December 9 held Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments responsible for
the killing of former Karnataka minister H Nagappa.
DMK president M Karunanidhi told reporters here that "inordinate delay by the
Karnataka government in getting bail for Kolathur Mani and careless attitude of the
Tamil Nadu government has led to the killing of Nagappa".
If Mani had been enlarged on bail, he would then have gone to woods and negotiated
with Veerappan for the release of Nagappa, he said adding that Tamil Nadu government
did not evince any interest at all.
He said Veerappan offered to surrender, when the DMK was in power in the state. But
he backed out from the offer due to stiff opposition from political leaders
including the present Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa.
His government had even identified a separate jail for the forest brigand. Had
Veerappan surrendered, the menace would have come to an end then itself, he said.
Karunanidhi also did not spare the Centre and said the Centre had paid only a 'lip
service' on the issue of helping Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in nabbing Veerappan.
PTI
