The Tamil Nadu IAS Officers' Association has expressed its support for health secretary J Radhakrishnan after two ministers in the state government asked for his role to be investigated in connection with former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's death.

 

"The Executive Committee expressed its serious concern over the public comments of Honourable Ministers in dragging a serving civil servant unnecessarily into a controversy when the matter is sub-judice,” the association said, urging the CM to intervene and ensure such remarks are not repeated.

The statement also highlighted that the law minister had quoted the deposition of Radhakrishnan as a witness even though it was not in the public domain.

 

It also condemned the fisheries minister D Jayakumar for saying that those who deposed before the inquiry committee should be interrogated by the police using "appropriate techniques".

 

Law Minister CV Shanmugam had launched a scathing attack on Radhakrishnan last week. He had claimed that the government wanted Jayalalithaa to be airlifted for treatment overseas, but Radhakrishnan said that if she is airlifted, it will harm the reputation of Indian doctors.  “He was more concerned about the prestige of the Indian doctors than Amma's health," the minister said.

 

The law minister's statement came two days after the standing counsel for the Commission of Inquiry probing the death stated that the evidence put forward by the health secretary was not only contradictory but also suggestive of conspiracy and collusion with Apollo with regard to inappropriate treatment to the late CM. The Apollo Hospital had vehemently denied all allegations.

 

The counsel prayed that the commission include Radhakrishnan as a respondent before it. Radhakrishnan had deposed before the probe panel on Friday.

 

Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016, and a Commission of Inquiry was constituted the next year by the ruling AIADMK government following allegations and suspicions surrounding her death.