The political situation in Tamil Nadu continues to be tense and anticipative in light of Sasikala’s takeover as Legislature Party leader of AIADMK. After MK stalin, Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar also opposed the decision and added that she would definitely contest election even if it wasn’t from the same constituency as her aunt.
“I will definitely contest an election. There is no need for me to contest an election from the same constituency but I will definitely stand for election,” she told the media at a press briefing on Tuesday.
Deepa also made it clear that she will not stake a claim in her aunt’s Poes Garden house.
“It is because of my athai, Jayalalithaa that I have come here. I want to complete the tasks that she’s left behind. My primary concern is the state, the people and what’s going to happen to them, not property or anything else,” she stated.
When asked about the current political situation in Tamil Nadu and VK Sasikala’s takeover as the CM of the state, Deepa said that only a democratically elected person should hold the position.
“She is not the person that the people actually voted for. A democratically elected leader should become the Chief Minister and nobody else should,” she said.
Rubbishing rumours of a political alliance between her and leaders like PH Pandian, Deepa said that she wasn’t in touch with anyone but was “open to suggestions”.
She also reiterated that she will make an announcement on February 24, Jayalalithaa’s birthday. Deepa refused to divulge further details. “Don’t ask me again and again about the announcement,” she told journalists.
But despite attempts to draw the focus away from the February 24 announcement, questions about the same kept coming. Unrelenting however, Deepa only said the announcement would not be about politics alone.
Speaking about the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death, Deepa said that the clarifications made by the doctors on Monday were not enough. “I don’t think there was enough of a clarification. This should have come earlier. It has come because of proposed changes in the political arena,” she argued.
“I have been asking for explanations since the time this started. I’ve been asking what treatment was given from the beginning,” Deepa added.
She also contested the doctors’ claims that Jayalalithaa was regularly visited by family. “I don’t know who is the family they are referring to. From the first day when I was standing in front of the hospital and I was asking permission to let me see her, I was denied. I was made to go back and nobody got in touch. They are trying to establish I’m not family,” she alleged.
Deepa also alleged that there were ‘restrictions’ being imposed on her.
“I will continue to be in public life. I have not released the information because of the current situation, there are some restrictions and difficulties,” she said.
“In RK Nagar constituency, I’d gone to a govt school to give the students there something, I was stopped from going there. There are many obstacles, permission is being denied, also security,” she said. “If Sasikala scares people, I can’t do anything,” she added.
Source: The News Minute