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NT Bureau
Chennai, Apr 24:

        Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today sought to play down the threat to AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa, by saying that the recent letter to Jaya TV office threatening assassination of AIADMK chief, may be an expression of stress or mischievous conduct.

        Replying to Deputy Leader of the Opposition, O Panneerselvam after question hour in the State Assembly, Karunanidhi said that some people indulged in such activities either out of stress or to attract the attention of the government over some issue. When Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister during 2001-06, she received threats from Imaam Ali, Tamil National Liberation Force and the Tamil Ezha Revolutionary Force.

        Only Anita who had sent a threat message by e-mail was arrested and others who had sent such threats were not apprehended. Even after the DMK came to power, such incidents happened. Recently, a person who claimed a bomb in the President's aircraft was arrested and even he had received some letters claiming a bomb in the Chief Minister's office. However, some anonymous threat cases could not be cracked, explained the Chief Minister.

        Letters similar to the one sent to Jaya TV were received by him and the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple and it was even said in a threat letter that bombs would explode in Harbour area. 'Hence, it is clear that the person who had sent the letter did not have any particular motive,' Karunanidhi pointed out. 'Jayalalithaa is protected under Z plus category and is being provided security commensurate with that class,' Karunanidhi said and added that the police department was taking all steps to apprehend the person who had sent the threat letter.

        As soon as the police received a complaint from a senior official of Jaya TV, cases were registered under appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code and a bomb detection squad was also sent to the office of the private satellite television channel. Security has been beefed up in that area, patrols has been increased and police are on vigil to nab the culprits, the Chief Minister said.

        He also said that the threat letter was sent from NGO Colony in Tirunelvelli by Venkatesan. Earlier speaking in the assembly, O Panneerselvam said during Jayalalithaa's tenure she had eliminated terrorism and mafia rule from the State and turned Tamilnadu into a heaven of peace.

        'Now, a letter has been received at the office of Jaya TV which threatened that the AIADMK general secretary would be killed if the television channel did not stop broadcast of news related to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi,' Panneerselvam said and wanted a reply from the Chief Minister.