I had met Jayalalithaa twice, says M Venkaiah Naidu

COIMBATORE: Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu today said he had met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalithaa twice and discussed issues related to his ministry, his remarks coming after two of his cabinet colleagues claimned that she was "inaccessible".

"That is their experience. I have met her twice and discussed issues related to the ministry", Naidu told reporters over remarks made by Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Prakadh Javadekar.

Goyal had reportedly during a speech at a conference in New Delhi on March 25 had said he was unable to meet the Tamil Nadu chief minister or state ministers during the last 22 months of his tenure.

"What Piyush Goyal has said is true. That is the experience of people (of the state)," Javadekar, who is also the BJP's poll-in-charge for Tamil Nadu, also said in Delhi on March 29.

On the BJP's prospects in the coming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Naidu said the party would reach out to the voters with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's achievements in various fields as they have seen the rules of both AIADMK and DMK.

"You have seen Aiyya (Karunanidhi), Amma (Jayalalithaa) and now see Bhaiyya (Modi)", Naidu said.

To a question on protests by farmers in the region over laying pipeline for GAIL, Naidu said the Centre, while deciding the issue, would not definitely go against the interests of farmers.