In an article published in the DMK's party mouthpiece 'Murasoli', he said, "I can tolerate any disputes they wanted to create in my family but how can I do so when they continuously indulge in blaming my government and my party."

Indicating his younger son M K Stalin would be his political heir, Karunanidhi said Maran brothers-owned 'Dinakaran' had published a survey (last year) which put Stalin ahead of his first son M K Azhagiri and his daughter Kanimozhi when they did not even make any attempt or announce their intention to be his political heir.

This was an attempt to "create a feeling of intense dislike" among his children, he said, adding "I did not even think that these attempts were pre-planned."

Karunanidhi said the same paper published another survey to show that the then Union Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi, younger sibling of Maran brothers, as the most efficient Union Minister from Tamil Nadu leaving the most experienced P Chidambaram (Congress) to second spot, T R Baalu (DMK) to the third spot and Dr Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK) to the last place.

"Is it necessary for such a survey when the Union Cabinet had representations from two or three parties from the state," he said.

"I angrily told Kalanidhi Maran and Dayanidhi Maran to stop publication of the series of the surveys," Karunanidhi said. But they ignored him and the "survey on my political successor was published," he said.

"While the earlier survey had created confusion among friendly parties, the political survey was an attempt to create trouble in my family," he said, adding the survey had angered Azhagiri's supporters leading to violence in front of the Dinakaran office at Madurai.