J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK leader, has lashed out at Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and his son and Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister M.K. Alagiri for “misuse” of official machinery and preventing her party cadres from attending the Madurai rally in large numbers.

“With the help of the police you have successfully prevented a large number of people from attending my rally in Madurai on October 18,” Jayalalithaa attacked CM and Alagiri. Out of 50 lakh only 25 percent of people were able to reach Madurai and hear my speech, she said.

Jaya added that about 75 per cent of the crowd could not reach the venue as their vehicles were either stopped nearly 35 km away or the police intentionally caused traffic jam to prevent vehicles from entering the city.

Jaya complained that the “Police Intelligence Chief Jaffer Sait had alerted the Chief Minister and Alagiri that if 4,000 vehicles enter Madurai, it would witness an unprecedented crowd and soon a conspiracy was hatched and vehicles carrying my party members were stopped 35 km before Madurai.”

She said that she had received these reports only after reaching Madurai on October 18. She alleged that noticing 4,000 vehicles pass the Tiruchy toll plaza towards Madurai within an hour, all hotels and teashops were ordered to be shut down so that those turning up for the rally could not get even drinking water.

She recalled that Karunanidhi’s protest rallies were neither prevented nor hurdles imposed when she was the CM and also during M.G. Ramachandran’s regime whereas Karunanidhi had indulged in an anti-democratic act.