BJP 'cooks up' rice issue, keeps pot boiling

Chennai, Apr 18: The BJP today ridiculed AIADMK Supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for her latest promise of providing ten kg free rice to the people under the Public Distribution System (PDS) saying this would make Tamil Nadu a ''pauper state''.

Talking to newspersons after releasing his party's third list of candidates, BJP State unit President C P Radhakrishnan said ''she had made Andipatti (from where she is seeking re-election to the State Assembly) into Arasapatti''.

(Andi in Tamil means ''Pauper'' and Arasa means ''King'').

With her latest announcement, she was trying to make Tamil Nadu a ''pauper state'', he alleged.

Mr Radhakrishnan also had a dig at Congress leader and Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram for stating that the DMK's promise of providing Rs two a kg rice under the PDS was feasible.

''If it is election time, then everything is possible and feasible for Mr Chidambaram,'', he quipped.

''If Mr Karunanidhi says that 20 kg rice will be issued freely, it will also be feasible for Mr Chidambaram'', Mr Radhakrishnan added.

UNI