BJP leaders target guns at Jayalalithaa
The two had exchanged promises of close coordination to ensure that the projects would soon materialise.
Chennai: It is not just the DMK and Captain's wife who are blasting guns at AIADMK 'Amma' accusing her of various flaws and faults. The latest to join the anti-Jayalalithaa cavalry is the BJP with its Union ministers Pon Radhakrishnan and Piyush Goyal alleging that the Tamil Nadu chief minister is just not available to even discuss vital infra projects for the state. This is a significant development coming close on the heels of reports that the AIADMK might have poll alliance with the saffron party; now that seems to be near impossible.
Speaking to reporters at Nagercoil on Sunday, Radhakrishnan claimed that he had tried many times to meet CM Jayalalithaa to discuss the development works in the state but he could not. "I tried many times but I could not meet her", he said.
Actually, Radhakrishnan had met O Panneerselvam in July last year to discuss the Colachel port project, the elevated corridor around Chennai and decongestion of the Chennai port. The two had exchanged promises of close coordination to ensure that the projects would soon materialise. But things stopped just there, the Union minister said.
His colleague Piyush Goyal, who heads the power ministry at the Centre, said he had made several attempts to contact leaders in the state government but failed. "I have access to 28 states in the country but for the 29th state, when I want to talk to someone, I cannot". "I called the state electricity minister (Natham Viswanathan) who promised to get back after discussing with 'Amma'. Nothing happened after that", Goyal said, while addressing the CII Young India Meet at Delhi on Saturday.
Until now, none in the BJP has criticised the AIADMK leadership or the state government on any issue; state BJP president Dr Tamilisai Sounderarajan was an exception as she lost no opportunity to slam the AIADMK government on one issue or the other. That being the case, the serious accusations now leveled by the Union ministers could embarrass the state government and derail any alliance attempts, if they were on.