CM, ministers differ on DMDK’s jib

Addressing reporters at the Coimbatore airport, the CM said that the media has misunderstood the statement by the DMDK leader. She had said that there are no alliance partners from Tamil Nadu supporting the BJP led Central government and this had delayed the projects in the state. 

Downplaying Premalatha’s remark that despite having 37 MPs, the AIADMK could not bring good projects to the State, he said it was natural to be critical while being in the opposite camp and a consensus on views would emerge only when an alliance was struck.

To a query on his party trying to form an alliance with parties that spoke ill about the AIADMK, the CM said, “The DMK – Congress is the most unholy alliance. We know to what extent MDMK chief Vaiko lambasted the DMK. Now he is in the DMK front and is extolling the virtues of its chief Stalin.”

Senior AIADMK functionaries and few ministers are upset due to controversial statement by Premalatha. However, few functionaries and AIADMK legislators are now giving press briefings rebutting the statement by DMDK. “Premalatha had said that the AIADMK formed the government because of the DMDK. As on date there are no MLAs for the DMDK. I don’t understand the logic behind her statement,” Information Minister Kadambur Raju said.

Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar also disagreed with Premalatha’s view and that his party could strongly raise its voice on the Mekedatu issue in Parliament only due to its 37 MPs. “Parliament was stalled. It happened only because of our 37 MPs,” Jayakumar told reporters. Political parties could exert pressure on the Centre only if they are part of the alliance but despite this the state had got funding for several projects, he said.

Asked if he was soft pedalling the matter, he said the DMDK leader may have avoided making the remark. “Let us forgive and forget as per Anna’s (Dravidian ideologue and DMK founder) philosophy, the past is past, let us leave it,” Jayakumar quipped. “AIADMK formed the government because of Amma’s legacy and the argument that DMDK helped the AIADMK to form the government is meaningless,” AIADMK leader B Valarmathi said.