'Silappadikaram' the epic Tamil literary work by Elango Adigalar several centuries ago has come to haunt the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government of Tamil Nadu.

The removal of the 10-foot bronze statue of Kannagi, one of the characters of the epic, from where it was installed on the Marina at Chennai in 1968 at the time of the World Tamil Congress, has kicked up a major political storm.

The government is trying to wriggle out of the mess in one way or the other. Reports that AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa's deep belief in astrology and astrologers has something to do with it has further complicated matters.

It all started with a truck from Andhra Pradesh ramming into the railing round the pedestal of the statue in the early hours of December 6.

The next morning, bright and early, the then City Police Commissioner, the controversial Muthukaruppan, wrote to the government and the corporation asking for the removal of the statue as it was a traffic hazard. Things moved with blistering speed from then. Within days the statue disappeared from the Marina and the area was razed and the road built over it.

All hell broke loose then. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief, M. Karunanidhi, and other opposition parties came out against the government 'vandalism'.

Last Wednesday, on December 19, Karunanidhi announced that the DMK would hold discussions with all like-minded parties over the incident.

Interestingly, Karunanidhi invited the local Congress chief, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, to the discussion. An agitation would be launched to get the statue restored to its former location. The date of the agitation, probably towards the end of the month, would be announced.

He said: "This war is not political. This is not to garner votes. This is a fight to save Tamil culture, dignity and tradition."

He said he was prepared to give up his life in this struggle.

A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Madras High Court seeking the reinstallation of the statue at the same place and in the same position. It was filed by Hassan Mohammed Jinnah who said that the removal of the statue hurt the sentiments of people in the state. On Friday, the court headed by Chief Justice Subhashan Reddy ruled that the statue should be reinstalled at its usual spot on the Marina.

The government said that the statue had been removed purely for safety reasons. They claimed that it was now in safe custody. The government also announced the appointment of a five-man committee to identify a new location for the statue somewhere else on the Marina beach. The court, which issued notices to the government has, however, permitted the committee to continue its work.

Meanwhile, it was reported in the Tamil language Press in the state that an astrologer had warned Jayalalithaa that the statue was not good for her. Her strategies would not work unless the statue was removed. Jayalalithaa's belief in astrologers and astrology is no secret.

Some months back she donated an elephant to the Guruvayur temple in Kerala and visited several other temples in that state on advice of one astrologer who had prophesied a win for her in the Assembly elections and appointment as chief minister.

So Kannagi, the lover of Kovilan, had to go. (In 'Silappadikaram' Kannagi had goes to the Pandyan kings with complaints of the ill treatment to which Kovilan was subjected. When the rulers ignore her pleas, she curses them and the city of Madurai burns to ashes).

Muthukaruppan who was involved in the notorious arrest of Karunanidhi had no problems about getting rid of the statue. It is not in the museum. Some say that it is now at the bottom of the sea.

On Thursday, one of the Jayalalithaa faithfuls, Minister Thambidurai, reacted to the charge of superstition being responsible for the removal of the statue. He said that Karunanidhi "who himself is superstitious to the core" had no right to attribute superstitious motives to the removal of the Kannagi statue.

Raking up the issue was, he said, a desperate attempt by Karunanidhi to overturn the will of the people and instigate them against the AIADMK. Everyone is now waiting to see if the statue is still available and if it will be reinstalled on the Marina. The opposition agitation is also looming.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK government is trying to hit Karunanidhi through the courts. Last Saturday, Chief Minister Panneerselvam told the media that fresh cases of corruption would be filed against Karunanidhi. Finance Minister Ponnaiyan also hinted at a witch hunt being launched against the DMK chief.

It may be recalled that Karunanidhi and son and Chennai Mayor Stalin were accused of being involved in corruption cases over the construction of flyovers in Chennai during the arrest of Karunanidhi.

While Karunanidhi said that he was prepared to face these charges, CB-CID Additional Director General of Police, S. Ramani on Wednesday held a press conference where he said that investigations into the cases were at an advanced stage.

Cases are being processed in the alleged multi million flyover scam case against Karunanidhi, Stalin and 12 others including two former chief secretaries.

One of them is K.A. Nambiar who was arrested along with Karunanidhi last June. One officer of Larsen and Tubro, the construction company and two private contractors are also among the list of accused. Some months back one contractor died, allegedly because of police harassment.

However, police claimed that he committed suicide. This move is possibly an effort by Jayalalithaa to gauge the durability of the BJP-DMK alliance to see if she has a chance to muscle that party out of the NDA.

The strong central government protest against Karunanidhi's arrest was at that time responsible for Jayalalithaa beating a hasty retreat. She may now be 'regrouping' to make another charge in view of stray comments from the BJP camp about a possible rapproachement.

Jayalalithaa is at present away at her farm in Ranga Reddy district near Hyderabad and planning strategy. She left on December 11 and was initially expected back in the middle of last week, which was extended to Saturday.

Later reports said that she would return only in the first week of January. But now the verdict in the Coal case, in which she is an accused, is to be delivered on December 27, when her presence may be required in court. So she may return earlier, even before Christmas.

On another front Subramanian Swamy is likely to file his appeal against the Madras High Court decision in favour of Jayalalithaa in the TANSI case in Supreme Court, since he has managed to obtain a copy of the High Court order belatedly. The DMK is also getting ready to appeal against Justice Dinaker's order.