Raju says Guv Ravi acting like a politico

MADURAI: Talking in the voice of ruling DMK leaders, AIADMK MLA Sellur K Raju (Madurai West) said Governor RN Ravi was acting like a party representative and behaving more like a political entity.

Raju wondered whether the Governor was talking on his own or reading somebody’s statements during programmes. His political views could not be accepted, he told reporters in Madurai on Thursday after inspecting the venue, where the AIADMK’s conference is scheduled to be held in August.

Being seen as wrong by both sides, including the TN Governor and the ruling DMK, he said the latter should also refrain from criticising the Governor, who’s at the helm of the state. Now, a political tussle between the ruling party in the state and the Centre could affect the welfare of people, who rely on various schemes.

Further, Raju suggested that the ruling party in the state follow a strategy to simply avoid being held in a political stand off with the Centre for the welfare of our people. If this is the situation, it’s not good for the state and also for the people.

Though political differences emerged between the AIADMK, during its regime in the state and the Centre, the former developed a coordinated approach in the interest of people in TN. Though former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was pitted against then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in the run up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she extended support to the Centre for the betterment of people, Raju recalled.

RB Udhayakumar, Tirumangalam MLA, VV Rajan Chellappa, Tiruparankundram MLA and others were present.