CHENNAI: The State Assembly which occasionally witnesses discussion in English, had it on Thursday again. TRB Raja (DMK), participating in the discussion on the demand for grants for Industries Department, started his speech in Tamil and after Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa entered the House, shifted to English suddenly.
Raja, speaking in English, said the ministers had got his point wrong and hence were responding about something. However, he said the Chief Minister would have understood what he was trying to say. A smiling Chief Minister responded saying: “My dear young MLA, I have fully understood what you were trying to say. I only responded to the point you made about industries having fled the State and having gone to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, which is not true.”
Continuing further, Raja said he had only said about the apprehensions over some industries fleeing to neighbouring states and that he had not said that in affirmative. Having said that he added: “I believe you did not get it probably.” Responding to this, Jayalalithaa said, “My dear young man, I fully got what you were trying to convey. You are trying to play with words. That won’t work with me. You said very clearly that industries that should have come to Tamil Nadu, went to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, which I repeat, is not true.” However, when Raja was beating around the bush, without answering her question, she said the DMK member was showing his immaturity in each and every word uttered by him.