NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JUNE 12
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader D Jayakumar on Monday warned Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda to condemn Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai over his statement on former Tamil Nadu chief ministers indulging in corruption.
- Former BJP state presidents like Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamilisai Soundararajan and L Murugan showed alliance dharma and there was a sense of unity: D Jayakumar
- Tamil Nadu had seen many corrupt administrations in the past and former chief ministers were even convicted in courts for corruption: Annamalai
Annamalai, who divides his time equally between needling the DMK and AIADMK, has made a comment the ally finds it hard to overlook.
AIADMK icon former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, he tacitly indicated in an interview with an English daily, was convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
Annamalai said that Tamil Nadu had seen many corrupt administrations in the past and former chief ministers were even convicted in courts for corruption. He also said that Tamil Nadu had become one of the most corrupt states.
In response to the BJP leader’s statement, AIADMK leader D Jayakumar said that Annamalai’s comments had threatened the alliance between BJP and AIADMK.
Addressing a press conference, Jayakumar said, “Former BJP state presidents like Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamilisai Soundararajan and L Murugan showed alliance dharma and there was a sense of unity. But Annamalai is working in a way to break the BJP- AIADMK alliance.”
Jayakumar also asked why Annamalai didn’t talk about the allegations of corruption in Karnataka when the BJP was in power.
“What happened there? Annamalai is speaking about corruption in Tamil Nadu. Did he speak about the 40% commission government in Karnataka?” he said.
Jayakumar also said that the BJP only had representation in the Tamil Nadu Assembly because of AIADMK’s support. “If the BJP won 4 seats in the assembly, it’s because of AIADMK. Will Annamalai deny that fact? BJP will have any representation only if it’s with AIADMK,” he added.
“AIADMK is like a banyan tree whereas the BJP is a small tree growing under its shadow,” quipped Jayakumar.
Tamil Nadu, ruled by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), is crying for a change as it “reeled under corruption of the DMK in these two years,” said BJP State president K Annamalai at a public meeting in Hosur on Monday.
According to him, the hallmarks of the DMK are its “generational corruption, power cuts, collision with the Congress in the Sri Lankan genocide, liquor wreaking havoc in the lives of women through Tasmac and corruption associated with liquor.”
Incidentally, Karma Veerar Kamarajar used to quote both the Dravidian parties as ‘ore kuttaiyil ooriya mattaigal’ (synanimous for corruption).
