Ungrateful Vaiko forgets Jaya helped MDMK gain recognition: Jayakumar

CHENNAI: Former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar on Friday hit out at MDMK chief Vaiko, calling him ungrateful. It was late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, who had helped the MDMK win seats in the 1998 Lok Sabha polls, thereby helping Vaiko’s party secure recognition, Jayakumar said.

Conveniently forgetting it, Vaiko is criticising AIADMK, Jayakumar added.

The AIADMK spokesperson said it was unbecoming of Vaiko, given his stature, to speak ill of the late leader and former CM (J Jayalalithaa). He added that Jayalalithaa had accommodated him in the alliance and allotted five seats in the 1998 LS polls. They (MDMK) won three seats and, through the alliance, emerged as a recognised party in the State, the former minister said, adding that it was the first time Vaiko’s party had its representatives in Parliament. The AIADMK leader’s rebuttal comes in the backdrop of Vaiko’s recent remark calling his past decision to meet Jayalalithaa and form an electoral alliance with the AIADMK a “political blunder”.

“If he wants to please his present alliance leader, the DMK, he can very well heap praises. But he should not speak ill of the late AIADMK supremo. It does not befit his stature,” Jayakumar said.

He also criticised the DMK government for its bias in issuing permission to erect flagpoles. “Everyone is equal before the law. There should not be any discrimination against political parties. But the ruling party is not allowing the AIADMK and the TVK to erect their flagpoles. It is unacceptable. The people are watching, and they will give an appropriate answer to the ruling party in the upcoming elections,” Jayakumar said.