Despite the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) playing hardball on the merger issue, senior AIADMK (Amma) leader and Finance Minister D. Jayakumar said on Sunday that they were still willing to accept the rival faction.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a government function here, Mr. Jayakumar said, “There is a proverb that little drops of water make a mighty ocean. We don’t want to lose anyone. We are willing to accept them if they (AIADMK-PTA) come.”
Mr. Jayakumar took a swipe at AIADMK PTA leader and Rajya Sabha MP V. Maitreyan by indicating the latter was not always associated with the party. “We can accept the opinion of leaders, who had worked for the party, gone to jail and who had mingled with partymen. But we cannot accept the opinion of [Mr.] Maitreyan, who has not associated with the party at all,” Mr. Jayakumar claimed.
The Minister’s comments were in response to Mr. Maitreyan tweet’s that while it was certain that Amma’s (Jayalalithaa) government would continue even after 2021, Mr. Jayakumar wouldn’t be part of it.
The Finance Minister said: “Only those who wish that Amma’s government should continue are really followers of Amma. Those who wish that Amma‘s government should not continue are mere opportunists and they would be identified in the course of time.”
Bats for M-Sand
At another interaction with journalists, the Finance Minister said that shifting to M-Sand (manufactured sand) from river sand for constructing buildings can help in protecting natural resources. “M-Sand is used in several States and we would focus on spreading awareness about the use of M-Sand,” he said.
