Choose envoy with TN roots, CPI urges CM Vijay

CHENNAI: The CPI on Sunday urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to reconsider the appointment of Venkat K Narayana as the Tamil Nadu government's Special Representative in New Delhi, saying the decision had sparked widespread debate and criticism.

The party secretary said the people of Tamil Nadu would not accept a person lacking an adequate understanding of the State's political, economic and social landscape, as well as its art, literature and culture, as the government's Special Representative in New Delhi.

Talks that Narayana, who wields political influence in Karnataka and runs his business from Bengaluru, is a wrong choice for the post are making the rounds, he pointed out.

However, the CPI leader's statement contained a cautious note. "We have no right to interfere in a decision taken by the TVK government. It is their prerogative. However, it would have been better if a person born in Tamil Nadu had been appointed as the State's representative," he said.

The CPI urged the Chief Minister to review the appointment and nominate a more suitable person for the post.