VK Sasikala’s election as AIADMK legislature party leader, which paves the way for her becoming Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, has invited criticism from top Congress leaders.
The most acerbic was former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram who, in a series of tweets, heaped scorn on the latest appointment to the Tamil Nadu CM’s office. “It is the right of AIADMK MLAs to elect their leader,” he said, adding: “It is the right of the people to ask if the leader deserves to be CM.”
Chidambaram recalled eminent occupants to the Tamil Nadu CM’s chair to slam the latest appointee by way of comparison. “Looking back with pride, TN CM chair was occupied by Kamaraj and Anna. AIADMK and PEOPLE OF TAMILNADU are now moving in opposite directions,” he tweeted.
A towering Congress leader, Kamaraj was Chief Minister for nine years (1954-63), and he was credited with initiating several welfare measures. He was also a freedom fighter who spent several years in prison during the freedom movement.
Founder of DMK, scholar-politician CN Annadurai, was Chief Minister between 1967 and 1969 and was hailed as Anna (elder brother) by the people for his steadfast commitment to people’s causes. Both the leaders were also loved for several other qualities like selflessness, simplicity and for running corruption-free regimes.
Slur on democracyAnother Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Mallikarjun Kharge said: “Sasikala Natarajan is not a primary member of her party. Such people running a government isn’t a good message for democracy.”