Annamalai ill-informed of TN, says Jayakumar

CHENNAI: Former minister and AIADMK spokesperson D Jayakumar on Friday denounced state BJP president K Annamalai for criticising the previous AIADMK regime for water logging issues due to rains in the recent days and said that he should refrain from criticising the previous government.

Ridiculing Annamalai for postponing his padyatra, the former minister said Annamalai who has been carrying out "instalment padyatra" was ill-informed about what had happened and what is happening in Tamil Nadu. "He should not blame the previous governments, " said Jayakumar and continued that the problem is with the BJP state leader's prejudice views.

Jayakumar's sharp rebuttal was in response to Annamalai's social media post on Thursday, stating the people of the state were paying heavy for wrongdoing of the Tamil Nadu government. He also questioned what happened to several thousands of crores spent for storm water drainage works. Though the government changed, the situation remains the same, he said in the post to hit out at saffron party's former ally, AIADMK and its government under Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Shifting his focus to the arch-rival, DMK, Jayakumar said that the present dispensation had failed to take precautionary measures and prevent waterlogging in low-lying areas. "Normal life disturbed in several residential areas in the city and many were unable to cool as their houses were flooded, " he said and wondered what happened to the Rs 4,000 crore storm water project?

He further said that the recent rains have unmasked the inefficiency of the DMK regime in handling the rain-related civic issues. "If this is the case even for such rainfall, what will it do when the city witnesses a heavy downpour, " he said.