In a snub to Jayalalithaa, the Congress president stayed away from a function to unveil the statue of erstwhile leader of AIADMK.
But AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa is still hopeful of realignment
NEW DELHI: In a snub to AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, Congress president Sonia Gandhi stayed away from a function to unveil the statue of late MG Ramachandra, the erstwhile leader of AIADMK. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also skipped the ceremony held in Parliament House.
Jayalalithaa had invited both the PM and Sonia Gandhi for the function. While the PM stated a prior pressing engagement for his absence, Sonia was reportedly “out of town”.
But a composed Jayalalithaa appeared to have not minded the Congress slight. Instead, she predicted “political realignment” soon at the national level as also in Tamil Nadu. Asked why Gandhi did not attend the function, Jayalalithaa shot back: “You should ask her the question. I am told she is not in town. MGR is an illustrious son of India, he does not belong to ADMK alone, he belongs to all. He was awarded Bharat Ratna, highest civilian award. It was (unveiling of his statue) a historic occasion transcending all political considerations.” Jaya may have touched a raw Congress nerve when she called on Gandhi’s political foes Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his lieutenant Amar Singh at the latter’s Lodhi Road residence on Wednesday.
“Mulayam Singh Yadav is my long-time friend and brother. Amar Singh is also my brother,” she said.
The ADMK chief, one of the votary of third front, decried the alleged move to topple Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh. ”It would be a foolish thing if the UP government is destabilised,” she said adding that imposition of President’s rule in UP would boomerang on the Congress and would result in the SP returning to power with a greater majority.
UPA’s key ally DMK also boycotted the function. Talking to reporters later, Jayalalithaa said besides boycotting the function, the “DMK had put obstacles to the efforts in getting a statue of MGR installed in the Parliament.” Gandhi is likely to attend the unveiling of statue of late union minister and DMK leader Murasoli Maran. Tamil Nadu Chief minister M Karunanidhi will also be present on the occasion. Jayalalithaa and Gandhi do not have best of relations for some years now despite the two coming together in 1998 before the fall of the BJP-led government at the Centre. The Congress is now aligned with the DMK both at the Centre and the state.
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