Former AIADMK Minister Jayakumar gives stinging rebuttal to PTR over latter’s abusive Twitter rants

In a scathing rebuttal to Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, former AIADMK Minister D. Jayakumar said that the former’s abusive rants on Twitter is unbefitting for the post he holds.

He said that Palanivel Thiagarajan who has become a Minister for the first time seems to have taken it to his head and has been talking like a person who is mentally disturbed.

Giving a lesson on the evolution of GST, the AIADMK leader mentioned that it was because of late former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa that GST compensation was made possible for larger producing states like Tamil Nadu. He also said that during the UPA regime of which the DMK was a major alliance partner, the Central Government had around ₹4080 crores of pending arrears to be paid to Tamil Nadu.

“You could have said that you (DMK) will walk out of alliance if the amount is not settled. You had that many MPs. Instead, for the sake of power, you pledged the rights of Tamil Nadu people. You not participating in the recent GST Council meeting can only be seen an extension of that.”, AIADMK leader Jayakumar said.

Quoting a song of late AIADMK founder MGR, the former Fisheries Minister said that with power should come humility.

“It seems like you and the word ‘civil’ are far-fetched. I think you must have left whatever little of it (civility) in America itself. One who acts like he knows it all is nothing but a narcissist.” the AIADMK leader lashed out Palanivel Thiagarajan.

“Even I am educated. I’ve 2 degrees. I was an outstanding student both during my B.Sc and Law studies. But I never roamed around with so much arrogance.”, former Minister Jayakumar hit out.

“You might have learnt economics from textbooks. You might have worked for big corporates and rich people. But I’ve been a Minister since 1991 and learnt finance and economics through experience. I am student of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma.” the AIADMK leader said pointing out that economics in theory and practice are completely different.

He said that it was laughable for Palanivel Thiagarajan to say that he had skipped the GST Council meeting in 2017 as he (Jayakumar) had presented the Tamil Nadu budget on that date (March 16, 2017) in the Assembly.

The AIADMK leader concluded saying that Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan must stay away from Twitter and abusing people and instead start thinking about welfare of the people.

Palaniel Thiagarajan has been making headlines for matters unrelated to his portfolio. He has made a number of contentious statements against different public personalities on his social media and frequently indulges in cyber-bullying of even common netizens.

Recently, he had spewed abuses on journalists, opposition politicians as well as common netizens who had questioned him his non-participation in the recently concluded GST Council Meeting at Lucknow.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.