AIADMK minister tells Thuglak editor to 'mind his tongue'

CHENNAI: Senior AIADMK minister

D Jayakumar

on Monday cautioned

Thuglak

Tamil magazine editor and political commentator S Gurumurthy "to mind his tongue and to stop meddling in the affairs of the AIADMK".


Jayakumar was reacting to Gurumurthy's statement on Sunday that he had advised deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam to meditate at the Jayalalithaa memorial and that the move saved AIADMK from going under the hold of V K Sasikala, a close aide of the former chief minister, it also eventually played a role in bringing the two AIADMK factions together.

"Gurumurthy should mind his tongue. Even in the past, he had poked his nose into AIADMK affairs on a few occasions and was put in his place," Jayakumar told reporters in Chennai, before leaving for New Delhi. Meanwhile, the AIADMK's IT wing started an hashtag "ShutUpGurumurthy" on social media.

"Everyone saw what Gurumurthy said on Sunday evening. Suddenly on Monday he has toned down his statement and has put out a tweet. Gurumurthy is a bundle of contradictions. He should stop interfering in the affairs of AIADMK," Jayakumar told reporters in New Delhi on Monday evening.

In a series of tweets, Gurumurthy had sought to explain that his speech was taken out of context and questions were being raised. "Instead of hearing properly in what context I spoke, they have started reacting to just one part of my speech. I know very few people in AIADMK and among them it is OPS for whom I have respect," Gurumurthy explained. On Sunday, participating in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Tuqlak in Trichy and delivering his address, Gurumurthy was responding to a point raised by a TV news anchor as to why Tuqlak supported Jayalalithaa, but opposed Sasikala, who was accepted by Jayalalithaa.

"It is not the question of Tuqlak accepting Sasikala. The people of the state did not accept her. When arrangements were being made for her to be sworn-in as chief minister, OPS came to me and I advised him to sit on meditation at Jayalalithaa's memorial. The state wanted a change and OPS became the symbol of that change," Gurumurthy said in his speech.

Meanwhile, Union minister of state for shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said as the editor of a magazine, Gurumurthy can comment on issues and political developments. "But he has got a stature and his unwarranted comments should not end up diluting that," Radhakrishan said.