Karnan's new party offers financial assistance to Thoothukudi victims

Former judge of Calcutta High Court, Justice (Retd) C.S. Karnan on Wednesday met dalit leader Jignesh Mewani to speed up the work for his party, Anti Corruption Dynamic Party. The function was organised by the All India Dalit Youth Association. 

In a statement issued later in the day, Karnan did not specify where he met Mevani, but said that many important people along with Mevani were present at the convention.

"Today it makes me very happy in sharing the dais along with some high dignitaries, one of whom is our brother (Jignesh) Mevani, MLA of Gujarat. This special meeting was arranged by All India Dalit Youth Association," said Karnan. 

The former judge, who was sentenced to six month jail in a contempt case by the Supreme Court last year, also announced Rs 10,000 assistance to the each of the affected families in Thoothukudi of Tamil Nadu where 12 anti-Sterlite protesters were killed in police firing on Tuesday. 

"In the sorrowful incident at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, our party expressed deep sorrow at the loss of so many lives who are mainly agricultural workers. So our new party has announced a cash assistance of Rs 10,000 to each of the affected family," he said.

Karnan, in the upcoming issue of THE WEEK magazine, which would hit the stand on Friday, said in an exclusive interview that Supreme Court judges who convicted him were "no less than barbaric". 

This is the first time he has made such outburst against the court after his release on December 21, 2017. 

"They are tormentors and they are barbaric. I cannot compare them with any other thing apart from this," he said and added that by sending him to jail, the Supreme Court has crashed his prestige and social status. 

"The Supreme Court harassed me in maximum and demeaned me in the court and in the general public.... My prestige and high bearings as a high court judge had crashed down to its lowest level," he said. 

Karnan said the apex court has not only did a caste discrimination, but lowered its image in the eyes of the general public. 

By declaring monetary assistance to Thoothukudi victims and extending all kinds of chords to other dalit leaders in the country, Karnan is making all out attempt to be part of the chorus which goes against the Narendra Modi government. However, he is yet to make any word against Modi and is making calculative steps.