AIADMK’s OPS Camp Meets President, Seeks Probe Into Jaya’s Death

The 12-member delegation, led by Rajya Sabha member V Maithreyan, submitted a memorandum to the President.

A file photo of people paying their respects to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. (Photo: AP)

A delegation of AIADMK MPs owing allegiance to rebel leader O Panneerselvam on Tuesday called on President Pranab Mukherjee and sought a probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The 12-MP-strong delegation, led by Rajya Sabha member V Maithreyan, submitted a memorandum in this regard to the President at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in Delhi.

In the memorandum, the OPS faction has sought steps for instituting a probe, which can be a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe. This can be decided by the President, Maithreyan told reporters after meeting Mukherjee.

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Ever since Jayalalithaa passed away in December, there have been questions about it in the minds of party cadre and the general public. We have requested the President to look into the issue and order a central government probe into her death to uncover the truth.

V Maithreyan, MP and Member of AIADMK’s OPS Faction

He questioned the need to admit the former chief minister to hospital on 22 September just for "fever and dehydration", when her Poes Garden residence itself had a "mini-hospital and ICU set-up".

Maithreyan, who was among the first to support Panneerselvam after he revolted against the party leadership earlier this month, alleged there were “goof-ups" during Jayalalithaa’s 75-day-long medical treatment.

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"I consider removal of such suspicions will be a tribute to Amma (Jayalalithaa)," he said. Maithreyan, who is an oncologist, said during Jayalalithaa's long medication at Apollo Hospitals, no one was allowed to visit her.

"After taking necessary precautions, one or two party members were allowed to meet her. Neither Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley nor OPS was allowed to see Amma," he said.

He also said they wanted to know who authorised the hospital’ to go in for “cessation of treatment” to allow natural cessation of life after Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest on 5 December.

Under normal circumstances, permission is obtained from a patient’s blood relatives to stop medical treatment, he said.

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Maitreyan also said the state government was not "qualified" to probe Jaya's death. "Chief Minister Edappadi is not talking about the issue and is ignorant," Maitreyan alleged.

He also promised to take up the issue in the upcoming session of Parliament. To a question on why the issue was not raised soon after Jaya's death, Maitreyan said:

If we had raised it on the day of her funeral, Tamil Nadu would have faced a lot of violence. 

While serving as care-taker chief minister, Panneerselvam had said a probe would be ordered into the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa’s death.