Jayalalithaa slams Elangovan but urges AIADMK workers to stop protests

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa today appealed to party workers to end their state-wide protests against TNCC president E V K S Elangovan for his alleged derogatory remarks over her August 7 meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

"I am very much aware of partymen taking up agitations out of pain. However, as protests against Elangovan have been continuing, I appeal you not to continue any more," she said in her first reaction over the issue.

She recalled an incident in 2014 in which the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry had made alleged derogatory remarks about her on its website over the practise of writing to the PM on the fishermen's issue and said all political parties, including the Congress had condemned it.

Following that, the island nation not only removed the comments from the site but also issued an apology, she said.

"However, the comments by Elangovan over my meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had surpassed the comments (posted in the Sri Lankan government website). While some political parties backed such comments (of Elangovan), some stayed away from making comments only for their political gains," she said.

Soon after Elangovan's alleged remarks on Aug 14, AIADMK workers lauched protests across Tamil Nadu, burning his effigies at many places, while others staged protests in front of his homes at Chennai and Tiruchirapalli and also at Congress party office here.

Jayalalithaa also criticised Elangovan for stating on August 20 that he had only spoken of a "secret pact" between AIADMK and BJP and that his "political view" was twisted.

"Such a comment is condemnable", she said.

On the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief's remarks that his comments were "misunderstood", she said, "By issuing such statement, it has become explicitly clear that Elangovan himself has indirectly accepted that making such a comment was wrong".

Elangovan had made the controversial remarks here on August 14 while participating in a protest organised by his party, seeking a liquor ban in Tamil Nadu.