'No humiliation against Jaya and Karuna in TN assembly'

CHENNAI: In response to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's charge, the Congress MP S Thirunavukkarasar on Sunday explained that there was no humiliation in the state assembly against late chief ministers J Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi.

Recalling the days where he was a Deputy Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (TNLA) in 1989, the then AIADMK leader S Thirunavukkarasar said that it was true that there was a clamour and chaos in the state assembly in 1989.

"After MG Ramachandran's demise, Karunanidhi became chief minister of the state in 1989. J Jayalalithaa was Leader of Opposition and I was Deputy Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. There was not much space between the ruling party and the opposition in the legislature as it is now. Karunanidhi and Anbazhagan were sitting in the opposite row of Jayalalithaa and I, GK Moopanar, Kumari Ananthan were sitting next to Jayalalithaa. Knowing in advance that something untoward was going to happen, the then chief minister Karunanidhi read out the budget on a small table. Earlier, in a meeting of 26 MLAs led by Jayalalithaa at Poes Garden, it was decided to prevent the reading of the budget. It was decided to raise an issue regarding Jayalalithaa's resignation letter. An MLA in the back pulled out the budget book while Karunanidhi was reading the budget in the assembly. When Karunanidhi reacted with a loud noise, his spectacles were fell down and then he stumbled. Immediately the then ministers took him to the chamber, " S Thirunavukkarasar explained while addressing the reporters here.

"The DMK MLAs who were in the back seats thought that Karunanidhi was attacked in the face by the AIADMK MLAs. So they threw budget books at us as they can't throw away all the chairs. They broke the mic and threw the books. The then AIADMK MLA KKSSR Ramachandran and I stood up for Jayalalithaa. Even then some books fell on Jayalalithaa's head, she lost her hairstyle. We then brought her safely to the car and brought her home. The fight and the incident happened are all true. But there are no blows or blood wounds. DMK campaigned that Karunanidhi was attacked in the face and Jayalalithaa's saree was pulled by DMK MLAs. But these two incidents are not true. Karunanidhi was not attacked in the face. Jayalalithaa's saree was not pulled by DMK MLAs, " the former AIADMK veteran added.

Taking a dig at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Telangana Governor Tamilisai, the Congress MP Said that both had no chance to know the truth.

"I, GK Moopanar, Kumari Ananthan and KKSSR Ramachandran were the ones who witnessed the TNLA proceedings then. GK Moopanar is not alive now. Kumari Ananthan will tell if asked. What does Kumari Ananthan's daughter Tamilisai know about this? Nirmala Sitharaman also had no chance to know. When the statement of Draupadi's incidence in Mahabharata came up in Lok Sabha during the no-confidence motion debate, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had told a story, " added Thirunavukkarasar.