Demonstrators burn a poster bearing images of Chief Minister of India's Tamil Nadu state J. Jayalalithaa (L) and M. Karunanidhi, leader of India's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, during a protest in Colombo April 2, 2013. The protesters were demonstrating against the two Indian political leaders, over two separate attacks last month on Sri Lankan Buddhist monks in Chennai, located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, according to the demonstrators. Karunanidhi previously served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Employees of the state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority also held the protest on Tuesday against Indian imports after India voted last month in favour of a United Nations (U.N.) resolution to carry out credible investigations into the killings and disappearances during its nearly 30-year civil war, especially in the brutal final stages in 2009.
Chennai: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today blamed the wrong economic policies of the UPA Government for price rise and sought scrapping of existing system of Trade Parity Price for petroleum fuel.
Holding that prices of petrol and diesel were being fixed as per international trends, she said, I wish to point out that this system is wrong.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa refuted various allegations against her and the state government for its failure to ensure the release of the film Vishwaroopam, and said the prohibition of the release of the film was motivated by a desire to maintain peace in the state and not because of personal grudges.
Saying that most people did not seem to understand what was required to maintain law and order in a state, Jayalalithaa said, As far as I am concerned as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu my first priority is the maintenance of law and order, and to ensure public peace and a tranquil atmosphere where people can continue with their daily lives.
The chief minister said that Vishwaroopam was to be released in over 500 theatres and the state government did not have adequate police force at its disposal to ensure security at every theatre, given intelligence inputs had already warned them of violence by Muslim groups.
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's presence at the swearing-in of Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, and her party's relentless campaign to secure all the Parliament seats in the state and Pondicherry together are a certain giveaway of two facts: one, she would most likely support Modi as PM; and two, she wants to play the kingmaker.
The mutual regard that Modi and Jaya have for each other appears to be growing stronger. In fact, he is the only ally that Jaya has maintained in the recent past. He had flown down for her swearing-in last year and she has now returned the favour. Outside his home-turf, Chennai was one of the few places that Modi has spoken in public; and it was for a mutual friend Cho Ramaswamy. Reportedly, they exchange notes on administration and ideas as well.
Just before she flew down to Ahmedabad, her supporters in Chennai had made yet another call for Jaya as the PM of India. This has been a refrain of her party, particularly her senior leaders, ever since she came to power last year.
Tamil Nadu state Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, left, greets Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi before the oath taking ceremony, in Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi won a resounding victory in state elections was sworn in Wednesday for a fourth term as chief minister in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Indian chief minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa (C) arrives at a hotel in Bangalore to take part in talks with chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the Cauvery water sharing row, on November 29, 2012. The talks failed to break the ice with both sides sticking to their positions.
