Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Jayakumar has taken on his Ministerial colleague Sellur Raju, who had claimed that jailbird Sasikala had inserted the AIADMK regime in place early this year, by stating that it was the late ‘Puratchithalaivi’ who worked hard last year during the Assembly polls to secure the party’s mammoth victory.

Sellur Raju, known for some comic proposals including generating power from thermacoal, had earlier told newsmen soon after the parole was granted to jailbird Sasikala, former aide of former chief-minister J. Jayalalithaa, that it was she who had inserted the present regime in the State.  Raju’s comments not only irked his own colleagues in the Cabinet but also showed seeds of indiscipline in the party’s ranks.

Raju also claimed to be ‘speaking right from the heart’ when he made the (in) famous comments.  In the meantime, his colleague and Fisheries Minister Jayakumar addressed newsmen at Pattinapakkam in Chennai and joined the issue with Raju.

“Unlike Raju says, it was former chief-minister and ‘Puratchithalaivi’ Jayalalithaa who worked hard during last year’s Assembly polls in securing a majority for the party.  Even when she wasn’t fully well, Jayalalithaa undertook the trouble of touring as many constituencies as possible for campaigning for the party.  Nobody can even come anywhere close to her in nurturing the party,” Jayakumar said.