New Delhi: In a bid to defend his jailed daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi for her alleged involvement in 2G spectrum scam, Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief M Karunanidhi yesterday said in his first public meeting after the recently concluded assembly polls in his Tiruvarur Constituency last night that he compelled her to become a stakeholder in Kalaignar TV, to which the money related to the spectrum allocation was routed.

He said: “Kanimozhi’s mistake is my mistake. It was I who compelled her to become a shareholder in Kalaignar TV with a view to settle her a base for her future.”

He came down heavily on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and blamed the centre for the arrest of his daughter in the 2G spectrum case. It clearly reflects further strains in his party’s ties with the Congress party.

“Kanimozhi is in Tihar jail, either it could be due to centre’s order or complacency,” the DMK patriarch said.

The strain in the DMK’s alliance with the lead UPA partner had come out very clearly during seat-sharing negotiations for the April 13 Assembly polls with the Congress managing to wrest 63 seats from the DMK.

The 88-year-old former Tamil Nadu chief minister claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, had named his daughter since it had to hold someone accountable.

“What was earlier estimated to be a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore (caused to the exchequer by the alleged wrongful policies of jailed former Telecom Minster A Raja), has now shrunk to Rs 30,000 crore. What affected the company (Kalaignar TV) affected Kanimozhi,” he said.

Kanimozhi, whom he said had taken all efforts for the party’s victory in the April 13 Assembly polls, was “languishing in Tihar jail,” in conditions not so favourable.

“The temperature there is such that a flower will dry in 10 minutes if it is kept in the open,” Karunanidhi, who had met his daughter recently there, said.

He, however, said that his daughter was facing the situation and had asked his elder daughter Selvi to take care of him.

“She said she was not worried and asked us not to worry as the Dravidian movement had given her the strength,” he said.

Karunanidhi said before “sorrow destroys” him, he will do all in his might to save and nurture the Dravidian movement.

Kanimozhi, a minority stake-holder in the channel, has been jailed over transaction of Rs 200 crore from 2G accused Shahid Balwa’s firm, DB Realty.

While the DMK patriarch started mentioning about his retirement from active politics, he quickly changed track and said that he would not quit from public life (as of now).