DMK govt scared of Vijay, blocking TVK conference: AIADMK leader Jayakumar
The former AIADMK minister also took a dig at the HR&CE Department and its minister PK Sekarbabu for holding a two-day Global Muthamizh Murugan Conference at Palani and said that the DMK’s alliance partners were questioning the DMK government for conducting a religious conference in a secular state
D Jayakumar talking to reporters
CHENNAI: Senior AIADMK leader and former minister D Jayakumar on Tuesday said that the ruling DMK party is ‘scared’ of actor Vijay as they presume that the actor-turned-politician would make inroads into their vote bank.
Jayakumar however exuded confidence that the anti-incumbency factor would benefit AIADMK in the upcoming elections and help it return to power. Actor Vijay’s party would have no impact on the AIADMK’s prospects, he added.
“In a democratic country, anyone can enter politics, establish a political party and carry out their political activities. In a state like Tamil Nadu, where a vibrant democracy is thriving, why is the DMK petrified of actor Vijay? They presume that if the actor enters politics, it will have a direct impact on them and they will end up losing out on a significant section of their vote bank,” Jayakumar said while responding to a question on TVK facing trouble in getting police permission for the first state conference of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam in Vikravandi.
On Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar’s remark about Mekedatu dam project that it would benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka, Jayakumar said, “The deputy CM of neighbouring state is making such a comment during his visit to Chennai. But Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin is busy with photoshoots in a foreign country.”
On the Formula 4-night street race held in Chennai, Jayakumar demanded the TN government and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin to publish a white paper to clarify on sales of tickets and who benefited from it. “There is no transparency in organising and conducting the car race,” he said. He charged that the government, on the other hand, did not pay much attention towards the public issues ahead of the monsoon season.
The former AIADMK minister also took a dig at the HR&CE Department and its minister PK Sekarbabu for holding a two-day Global Muthamizh Murugan Conference at Palani and said that the DMK’s alliance partners were questioning the DMK government for conducting a religious conference in a secular state. They also question the rationale behind conducting such a religious event for a particular sect. “The Palani Murugan conference was organised to appease the BJP. But the DMK’s alliance partners are unhappy over this. It will have an impact on the alliance, he said.