Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Wednesday slammed DMK leader M.K. Stalin for accusing her government of not maintaining ‘secrecy’ on the budget announcements and sought a clarification from him for alleging that she violated the House norms and traditions.
“‘We are not greenhorns to Assembly or politics. I am here as chief minister for the third time. We will not do anything contrary to norms and there is no need to,” Ms. Jayalalithaa declared.
She wondered whether Mr Stalin, who held a high post (as deputy chief minister), was really “ignorant or deliberately” heaped baseless charges by claiming that the budget merely contained her announcements.
Flaying the DMK for boycotting the budget presentation on March 26, Ms Jayalalithaa said the press releases on March 23 and March 25 on government orders were not about new schemes but pertained to a G.O. as per her announcement on November 14, 2011, and an announcement in the 2011-2012 budget.
Mr Stalin had meant to criticise her government and did not appear to have read the Governor’s address, budget statements and other documents, she said, while replying to a query in the Assembly.
She wanted him to clarify whether his allegations were a “result of his ignorance or intention to malign the government”.
“I wish to remind that it was Karunanidhi (former chief minister) who created a sensation by releasing the Paul Commission report to the media, while sitting in the opposition, thus contravening Assembly norms,” the chief minister said.
The DMK members protested and sought to react to the statement. But they walked out of the House after the Speaker declined them permission to speak.