Amid swirling speculation about his political future following the AIADMK’s renewed alliance with the BJP, senior AIADMK leader and former minister D Jayakumar re-emerged on Monday to categorically deny rumours of his exit from the party.
After remaining silent for nearly four days since the alliance was formalised by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his Chennai visit, Jayakumar broke his silence during his participation in Dr. B.R. Ambedkarās birth anniversary celebrations in the city.
Speaking to the media, Jayakumar dismissed the rumours as baseless and part of a deliberate misinformation campaign. āVCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan claimed that I would quit the AIADMK if the party joined hands with the BJP. I never made such a statement. It was a premeditated campaign based on a fake card. It was completely false and has been trending on social media for the last four days,ā he clarified.
While he avoided commenting directly on the AIADMK-BJP alliance, Jayakumar expressed his dismay at the viral social media content, noting how it served as fodder for YouTube channels. āThese false claims may have helped online media outlets, but they are entirely untrue,ā he said.
Reiterating his commitment to the party and its ideology, Jayakumar stated, āNeither I nor my family has ever asked for any position in the party. I was identified and elevated by leaders like M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa. AIADMK is in my soul and breath, and I will continue my political journey along this path.ā
Though he refrained from addressing the alliance issue directly, his remarks served to silence speculation about his departure from the party and reaffirmed his allegiance to the AIADMK.