Chennai, Nov 16 : As A Raja was booted out of the Cabinet over the 2G spectrum scandal late on Sunday, the Maran brothers and their uncles, M K Stalin and M K Alagiri, gathered over dinner at a city star hotel, reports Times of India.
Sources close to the family described the occasion as a normal "family get-together" but the sideshow at the ritzy hotel seemed to have a lot to do with Raja getting the sack and a tense Kanimozhi fielding queries from reporters in Delhi.
On Sunday evening, the Maran brothers — Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi — hosted a lavish dinner for family and friends. Stalin, who had a series of public engagements over the weekend in western Tamil Nadu, flew in from Coimbatore and drove straight to the dinner.
Chief minister M Karunanidhi's elder son, Alagiri, who has kept himself at a distance from the spectrum controversy, also reached Chennai from Madurai for the dinner.
Importantly, Alagiri has stayed away from Parliament this session and has absented himself from party strategy sessions on the Raja crisis. His excuse: He has been terribly busy with preparations for his son's November 18 wedding in Madurai. And yet, he made it a point to be in Chennai on Sunday.
Two years ago, differences within DMK's first family were papered over following a reunion. But some factors continued to show up the cracks. These have been apparent all through the Raja crisis.
Patriarch Karunanidhi is said to be Raja's strongest backer. Also, persistent efforts of Kanimozhi and her mother, Rajathi Ammal, ensured a Cabinet berth to Raja.
Kanimozhi has backed Raja through the crisis and even provided him moral support.
