NEW DELHI, JAN 13: Continuing the exchange of words between the AIADMK and DMK on setting up of special courts to try corruption cases against AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha, Union Law Minister M Thambidurai charged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi of making statements which were tantamount to contempt of court.He said Karunanidhi and Tamil Nadu Law Minister Aladi Aruna had made certain allegations against him on the transfer of judges. This was effectively an attack on the judiciary and hence amounted to contempt of court.Thambidurai said that Karunanidhi's statement that his government had appointed special judges and not special courts to try Jayalalitha and her colleagues had given a ``mysterious turn'' to the criminal cases. This was compounded by Aruna who had said that special courts had been set up under the Prevention of Corruption Act. "These are nothing but attempts to mislead the citizens of this country," he said.The Union minister said that till date the President had not given his assent to a Tamil Nadu Bill which had set up three courts in April, 1997 anticipating the assent for "exclusive trial of false and foisted cases" Jayalalitha.The Centre's affidavit before the Supreme Court that presidential assent had not been obtained for the Tamil Nadu Special Courts Bill had totally exposed both Karunanidhi and Aruna who had made baseless comments, Thambidurai said.
