Jaya flays CM for 'not attending vital meetings'

Chennai, Sep 8 (UNI) AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today flayed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for ''choosing to inaugurate a local shop instead of attending the Chief Ministers' meeting on internal security'' held in New Delhi recently.

In a hard-hitting statement here, she claimed Mr Karunanidhi had not attended two such high-level conferences held after he assumed office in May last.

While he deputed his relative Mr Naganathan, who had not taken the oath of office and secrecy, to attend the Chief Ministers' conference held at Thiruvanathapuram, State Chief Secretary L K Tripathy was sent to the Delhi meet held on September five, she said.

Though Mr Karunanidhi had time to inaugurate the shop ''run by a person close to his family,'' he was not able to attend the Chief Ministers' conference addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, she claimed.

Despite having 30 Ministers in the Cabinet, not even one was deputed to attend the conference on internal security.

''How fortunate the people of Tamil Nadu are?'' she wondered.

Ms Jayalalithaa said she never failed to attend such conferences when she was the Chief Minister.

Even when Tamil Nadu was not invited for a Chief Ministers meeting on naxal-infested states, she insisted on participating in it, she recalled.

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