Jaya's statement on my election gross contempt of court: Chidambaram

Home minister P Chidambaram today dismissed Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's statement demanding his resignation on the ground he was elected in "fraudulent" manner in 2009 Lok Sabha polls calling it a "gross contempt of court".

Referring to her remarks in a press conference on the issue, he said "she knows that her candidate Rajakannappan has filed an election petition in the Madras high court and that is pending since September 2009. Her statement, is therefore in gross contempt of court."

The home minister said that Jayalalithaa has the habit of "starting on the wrong foot" and "she has always had utter contempt for court proceedings and hence her statement today is not at all surprising".

He said Rajakannappan had also contested the assembly elections last month and lost from one of the segments falling under his parliamentary constituency Sivaganga.