Chief Minister and All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa on Saturday termed as “an expression of goodwill” her decision of deputing two nominees – AIADMK's floor leaders in Parliament M. Thambidurai and V. Maitreyan – to the fast being undertaken by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad.
“Nothing to find fault”
Ms. Jayalalithaa told reporters here that “there is nothing to find fault with this fast because it is for the expressed purpose of maintaining communal peace and harmony, fostering communal peace and harmony.”
Asked whether the decision signalled a change in political alignment, she replied: “Not at all. You are reading too much into it.”
Explaining that Mr. Modi's move was “in line with our policy of secularism and maintaining communal harmony and peace,” the AIADMK leader said her decision followed the Gujarat Chief Minister's telephonic conversation with her. Mr. Modi had asked her to send her nominees to the fast.
Hypothetical question
Asked whether she would support Mr. Modi as a Prime Ministerial candidate in 2014, she described the question as hypothetical.
To a question on the Karnataka High Court quashing the decision of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Chennai to further investigate the disproportionate assets case against her, the Chief Minister did not view it as a setback and said, “Our lawyers are handling the case well and I have reposed confidence in them.” She added that appearing in a court was nothing new for her and she had appeared in various courts in the past.
Petrol price hike
On the petrol price hike, she referred to her statement in which she had condemned the move and demanded its rollback.
Earlier, she offered floral homage to Dravida Kazhagam founder E.V. Ramasamy at the statue of the DK leader near the Anna flyover here.
