Even as she maintained that she has already entered politics, late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar continued to keep her supporters in suspense on Tuesday, saying that she would spell out her further course of action on February 24, the birth anniversary of her aunt.
Ms. Deepa said she would explain on February 24 how she would carry forward her political career, after touring various parts of the State and holding discussions with her supporters. At a press conference at her residence on Tuesday, Ms. Deepa said she didn’t have any doubts over the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. Last month though she had questioned the secrecy over the treatment administered to her aunt.
Ms. Deepa was evasive in her reply to several questions that were posed to her on the present AIADMK leadership. She kept saying she “could not accept anyone” in the place other than MGR and Jayalalithaa. Denying that she was afraid of anyone, she said it was not in her nature to make personal comments.
When queried whether she would claim her share in the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa, she replied in the negative saying her relationship with Jayalalithaa was like that of a mother and daughter and “real children don’t eye property”.
Denies BJP support
She denied that Ms. Sasikala had invited her to join the party or that the BJP was backing her. Asked about reports that she had converted to Christianity, she said she believed in secularism. Thanking her supporters, she read out from a prepared text, which had several verses from MGR’s film songs.
Since morning, a huge crowd, supporting Ms. Deepa, had been waiting at the MGR Memorial at T. Nagar and later at the MGR Memorial at the Marina Square where she paid tributes to the party founder. Her supporters also staged an agitation condemning the police for not providing enough support to her and making her wait in front of the memorial.
Even as Ms. Deepa was addressing the press conference, her supporters gathered in front of her house on Sivagnanam Street in T. Nagar in large numbers. Whenever she spoke about her entry into politics, slogans were raised and crackers burst. They also raised slogans against Ms. Sasikala and many of them said they wanted to surrender their AIADMK membership urging Ms. Deepa to lead them. Some of them waved AIADMK flags when she made her customary public appearance in the balcony facing the street in the evening.
