CHENNAI: The State Assembly on Friday witnessed a sharp political exchange over the legacy of former chief ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, with Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna asserting that the ruling TVK government, too, represented "Ammavin Aatchi", countering the AIADMK's claim that it alone carried forward Jayalalithaa's political legacy.
Responding to AIADMK MLA Agri SS Krishnamurthy during the debate, Aadhav first defended the State government's stand on the Cauvery issue, saying the Water Resources Minister N Anand had merely placed before the House the outcome of the recent Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting.
"The Water Resources Minister has just explained what was discussed in the CWMA meeting. He only reiterated and recorded it in the House. We all know rainfall has been lower this year than during the previous 10 years. Yet, we have continuously fought before the CWMA and secured 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water. We will never allow Tamil Nadu's rights to be compromised, " the minister said.
Aadhav then took on Krishnamurthy's assertion that "Ammavin Aatchi" would soon return to Tamil Nadu under AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.
"I want to tell this House that the present TVK government is also Ammavin Aatchi. Our leader, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, will provide governance in the same spirit as former chief ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, " he said.
Earlier, Krishnamurthy claimed the AIADMK would stage a political comeback, win the next Assembly election and once again establish "Ammavin Arasu" in Tamil Nadu.