LS deputy speaker Thambidurai appeals to Sasikala to become CM
3 Jan 2017 11:44 PM GMT
Senior AIADMK leader M Thambidurai on Monday appealed to the newly appointed party general secretary V K Sasikala to become Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, saying the leadership in both the party and governance should be with the same person.
Speaking to reporters after calling on Sasikala, the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker also cited the ongoing political tussle in the Samajwadi party in Uttar Pradesh to drive home his point that the control of government and party should vest in the same person.
“Now you see problem has cropped up in Uttar Pradesh, the party was with father and government with son that is why the leadership of both the party and governance should be with the same person,” he said replying to a question.
Thambidurai met the AIADMK chief at Poes Garden residence of her mentor J Jayalalithaa and gave her a representation urging her to take over as CM. Sasikala becoming the Chief Minister was only “natural and just”, he said.
Sasikala, appointed as General Secretary by the AIADMK’s top decision-making body General Council on December 29, took charge of the post on December 31, pledging to take forward the legacy of Jayalalithaa. Already, almost all state ministers, part of the O Panneerselvam cabinet, have made similar appeals urging Sasikala to take over as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
Thambidurai said he appealed to Sasikala to become Chief Minister just like her mentor. He said “Chinamma”, as Sasikala is called by partymen, was a “deserving and eligible person” and that was why she was appointed party general secretary.
“Only on that basis (she is the eligible person) we are appealing again to her to take on the reigns of governance too... This is because the responsibility of governing the party and the government should lie with the same person,” he said.
“I have made a request that Chinnamma (Sasikala) should immediately assume the post of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to take forward the work of Amma (Jayalalithaa) in both the party and governance,” Thambidurai said.
Asked about the response of Sasikala, he said,”I have made my request as a party worker and given my representation.She did not give any reply.”
Stating that a party comes to power for doing good to people by giving electoral promises, he said “It is my opinion that such promises could be fulfilled in the best manner only by the person with whom the party top position is vested.”
Not in favour of exhuming Jaya’s body: Venkaiah Naidu
Days after a Madras High Court judge indicated that he may order exhumation of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s body, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said he was not in favour of it.
“I am not in favour of it personally. I hold her (Jayalalithaa) in high esteem. Exhuming the body somehow does not go down well with me,” the Union Urban Development Minister said in reply to a question.
On December 29 last, while hearing a plea seeking a probe into the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa’s death, Justice S Vaidyanathan, who was heading a two-judge vacation bench, had said the public should know what had happened in this regard.
“After the demise, everybody has a right to question. I personally have a doubt,” the judge had said while posting the matter to January 9 after issuing notices to the Centre and the state government.
Speaking to reporters at the BJP state headquarters here, Naidu said, “If the judge has an opinion, it is his opinion.
If he has issued notice, it will be replied to (by the Centre). Let us wait for what the court has to say.” To a query on the treatment for Jayalalithaa, he said, “We have no reasons not to believe the doctors. I too had enquired with them,” adding that the former chief minister had recovered, but passed away due to a subsequent cardiac arrest.
On doubts over the treatment and circumstances leading up to Jayalalithaa’s death, Naidu said, “There will always be some doubting Thomases. Let them raise those doubts. They will be replied to at the appropriate forum by the authorities concerned and not by an individual Union minister.” He asserted that even though there was an issue of privacy, the hospital had still come out with medical bulletins on the former chief minister’s health condition.
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