Chennai:
The PM's Q and A session with senior news editors hasn't impressed Jayalalithaa. "It was not just a damp squib, it was a wretched exercise which showcased a weak-kneed head of state at his helpless best, taking cover for all the ills plaguing the Nation using the fragile shield of 'coalition dharma'!" she shared in a statement today.
(Read: Jayalalithaa's statement on PM's media interaction)Last week, the Prime Minister took questions from journalists in Delhi about the 2G spectrum scam that has his government under fire along with the other big corruption scandals that have given the Opposition considerable grounds for attack.
The 2G scam cost DMK leader A Raja his job as Telecom Minister, and has turned into a stress test for the Congress and the DMK. At the centre, the DMK is a key ally in the UPA coalition and in Tamil Nadu, the two parties are partners, with the Congress supporting the DMK government.
Jayalalithaa had offered a few months ago to support the government at the Centre if it sacked the DMK. The Congress spurned her offer. And recently, Jayalalithaa's criticism of the government has become more vocal and frequent.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's candour, when discussing national issues with the media, could have won him some appreciation if it had not been overshadowed by his repeated confessions of pathetic helplessness in managing the requirements of coalition politics. Over and over again during his exchanges, he kept blaming 'compromises' imposed by 'coalition dharma' for most of the failings of his Government," she said today.