Click to play videoChennai: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo J Jayalalithaa has targeted Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) issue.
In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN Senior Editor Veeraraghav in Madurai on Monday, the AIADMK chief spoke on a wide range of issues including Karunanidhi’s statements backing LTTE chief V Prabhakaran, Sonia’s foreign origin, prime ministerial candidates and the Third Front.
J Jayalalithaa: Why is it that Mrs Sonia Gandhi remaining silent. Is she not the Congress President? Is she not the widow of Rajiv Gandhi? Is she not the Chairperson of the UPA? She should come out with a clear, explicit answer on these questions and she should tell the nation what she feels about it... Mr Karunanidhi's latest statements. Also she should tell the nation what she proposes to do about it as the President of the Congress party and as the Chairperson of the UPA.
Veeraraghav T M: As far as the statements are concerned Prabhakaran is a friend and not a terrorist. What is your point of view on it?
J Jayalalithaa: You have to look at this from a realistic point of view. Mr Karunanidhi seems to be unaware of his duties and responsibilities as a Chief Minister. He is behaving and talking in a most irresponsible manner. You ask me whether the police should take action against him. You forget that he is the Chief Minister of this state who controls the police force. He is not only the Chief Minister, he is also the Home Minister and it is under the Home Department that the police department itself comes. So when a Chief Minister himself makes a statement like this which is simply outrageous, how do you expect the state police to take action against their own Chief Minister. It is not possible. It cannot be done. That is why I am saying this is a question that should be put to the Central Government. You should put this question to Mrs Sonia Gandhi and to Dr Manmohan Singh and ask them what they intend to do about it. Now Mrs Sonia Gandhi cannot get away with just asking Mr Kapil Sibal or Singhvi or Jayanthi Natarajan to answer all these crucial questions. She is Congress President, she is the Chairperson of the UPA. As such she can't evade crucial issues like these by just remaining silent in a sphinx-like manner.
Veeraraghav T M: Is her foreign origin still an issue?
J Jayalalithaa: There are other things to talk about. It is no longer and issue because she is not aiming to become a prime minister. But is he did it would be an issue.
Veeraraghav T M: Let us talk about Third Front itself of which you are a part. Leaders like Mayawati, Sharad Pawar have expressed their prime ministerial ambition. How would you respond to that?
J Jayalalithaa: No one has specifically sought my support for their candidature. As far as Mayawati is concerned I have already said on quite a few occasions that there is nothing wrong in a person aspiring to be the prime minister of the country. Since this is a democracy anyone can aspire to become the prime minister. Where Sharad Pawar is concerned, he is a very senior political leader. He has the necessary maturity, wisdom and experience to be a prime ministerial candidate.
Veeraraghav T M: In a post-poll scenario if they approach you, would you consider this option.
J Jayalalithaa: I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Veeraraghav T M: You have also been quoted as saying that a good politician keeps all his ot her options open.
J Jayalalithaa: Very true, very true. I do not deny that. A good politician must be flexible.
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