Jayalalithaa shoots 7 queries at Karunanidhi on food bill

Chennai: In a statement laced with sarcasm, chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Satur­day rebutted DMK chief Karunanidhi’s recent remarks on proposed food security bill slamming him for his “double stand” in the crucial issue that would deprive TN one lakh tonne of rice a month from Centre’s allocation.
She further posed a set of seven questions to the DMK leader including whether his party would vote in favour of the bill if it were introduced in the House without any further amendments as requested by the state government.
“Karunanidhi, in a statement, claimed that he had not said that he would extend his support to food security bill if it were introduced in Parliament. But his party organising secretary T.K.S. Elang­ovan had said in a interview that their party would support the bill, which I had strongly condemned,” Jayalalithaa said.
Jaya fires rebuttal against MK
Chennai: Referring to Karun­anidhi’s Friday statement that Elangovan was not the sole representative of the DMK, chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Saturday  asked: “He is the organising secretary of the party and member of high-level executive committee too and is a notch above his son and south Tamil Nadu’s orga­nising secretary M.K. Ala­giri. Can he come out with such a statement without party leadership's consent?” 
What was the benefit in issuing such a statement? At this juncture, people of TN expect answers from him on the implementation of the scheme. “Is he aware that if the bill is passed, about one lakh tonne of food supply to the state will get redu­ced?” the CM asked. 
Firing a barrage of que­ries to Karunanidhi, she sought to know whether the DMK would present the proposed amendme­nts to the bill during the ongoing session of Parliament or not? She wanted Karunanidhi to spell out whether the DMK would vote against the bill in the present form, which was against the state if it was put to vote in Parliament.
Noting that the bill was against the existing PDS in the state, she said there was a provision in the bill that a kilo of rice would be given for Rs 3 only for three years. “Is he aware of it or not?” she said, demanding that Kar­u­nanidhi respond to her queries.

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