New Delhi: Emotions ran high as the father-daughter duo of M Karunanidhi and Kanimozhi met at the most unusual place -- jail number 6 in Tihar -- for nearly an hour on Monday. The 87-year-old DMK patriarch could not control his emotions when he saw his daughter for the first time since she was jailed for her involvement in the 2G scam. Karunanidhi hugged his daughter and cried like a baby while Kanimozhi struggled to hold back her tears.
Karunanidhi, who arrived in a black Mercedes around 5.45pm, hoodwinked the waiting media at gate number three by entering the jail through the administrative block, which houses top jail officials. Kanimozhi reached the premises in a caged jail van. It is learnt that the DMK chief assured his daughter that he would leave no stone unturned to get her out of jail.
"He said he will get the best legal minds to ensure her release," sources said. Karunanidhi was accompanied by Kanimozhi's husband G Aravinthan, her mother Rajathi Ammal and DMK parliamentary party chief TR Balu.
DMK sources said Karunanidhi kept cursing himself for pushing his daughter into becoming a shareholder in Kalaignar TV. Tihar jail spokesperson Sunil Gupta said: "Since Kanimozhi arrived in jail a bit late due to the traffic jam on the way from court, the meeting time was extended." The DMK chief also met former telecom minister A Raja and Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar in jail. Union home minister P Chidambaram met Karunanidhi after he returned to his hotel.
Earlier in the day, Union minister MK Alagiri's wife Kanthi met Kanimozhi in the trial court and broke down. They then went to the gallery where Rajathi was sitting with grandson Aditya.
Meanwhile, the Congress Party is feeling the discomfiture as it watches ally DMK and its leader Karunanidhi coping with the emotional stress and strain of seeing his daughter and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi sent to prison in the 2G spectrum allocation case charged with being a co-conspirator.
A Congress leader admitted that Karunanidhi was 'traumatised' over his daughter's imprisonment, but the fact that he sent party representative T.R.Baalu to attend the UPA second anniversary dinner on Sunday evening said that at the political level there was no change in relations. "They will learn to deal with the new equilibrium between the two parties," he said.
"If he (Karunanidhi) meets Sonia, it would be interpreted as if he was seeking Sonia's help to save his daughter. If he does not meet her, then it would be said that they have fallen out over the issue. DMK would prefer the former situation," a DMK leader said on condition of anonymity.