‘Why should I or Stalin give an assurance on the DMK-Congress alliance daily?’
A seasoned politician who had rubbed shoulders with MGR in the AIADMK, state Congress president Su Thirunavukkarasar has been answering more critics within the party than outside. Accused of being extraordinarily cordial with the Sasikala clan, a battle-hardened Thirunavukkarasar maintains that the DMK-Congress alliance is intact
By : migrator
Update: 2018-05-08 19:01 GMT
Chennai
Your party’s South Chennai district president Karate Thiyagarajan has met Rajinikanth and claimed that he had discussed politics with the actor a few days ago. He has justified that if you could discuss politics with Sasikala at Natarajan’s funeral and if Stalin could host KCR, he has every right to discuss politics with Rajinikanth..Your response?
Tamil Nadu Congress has 72 district presidents. Neither Stalin nor I have any need to bother about his meeting with Rajinikanth. Thousands of people meet Rajinikanth daily, mostly for photo op. Only he (Rajini) should say if he discussed politics with him (Thiyagarajan). Let Rajinikanth declare that he had discussed politics with him (Thiyagarajan), I will respond to it then.
Thiyagarajan has claimed that you had discussed alliance with Sasikala during the funeral… Please comment
Will any sensible person level such an allegation? That too when she (Sasikala) was standing next to her husband’s body in the funeral.
He has also criticised the meeting between Stalin and KCR. Moreover, Stalin has engaged Mamata, another proponent of alternative front. Is DMK drifting away from the Congress?
Any one can meet any one in politics. Chandrasekhar Rao is the chief minister of a state and leader of a party. He visited Chennai and Stalin hosted him. It is very common in politics. Stalin never declared after the meeting that DMK is quitting Congress alliance.
But, Stalin who has been asserting that DMK was in alliance with Congress till a while ago is now sounding non-committal? When asked after hosting former BJP leader Yaswant Sinha if Congress would be a part of the anti-BJP alliance, Stalin did not reiterate his alliance with Congress. Instead, he admitted to discussing the composition of the alliance with former BJP leaders. Is the DMK-Congress alliance intact?
Stalin did not say that DMK is not in alliance with Congress. I did not say that we (Congress) are not in alliance with DMK. Neither Stalin nor I have the obligation to give an assurance on the alliance daily. Barely an hour ago, I participated in the all-party meeting at Anna Arivalayam to discuss Cauvery issue. Our alliance is intact.
Some of your party functionaries have been suggesting that there could be a leadership change at the helm of TNCC after Karnataka elections. They cite your proximity with TTV and Sasikala as the reason for DMK being uncomfortable with your leadership. Is the AICC contemplating a leadership change in TNCC?
I will respond to leadership-related criticism if such issues are raised by senior leaders like P Chidambaram. Why should I respond to functionaries who level allegations from behind the screen? I am sincerely discharging my duty as TNCC president. Even now, I am leaving the city for Bengaluru to campaign for Karnataka Assembly election.
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