DMK lawmaker 'Tiruchi' Siva (pictured) was seen fighting with Tamil Nadu Minister TKM Chinnayya over MP Local Area Development Fund at a government function.
Tamil Nadu Minister TKM Chinnayya and DMK Rajya Sabha lawmaker 'Tiruchi' Siva got into a war of words today in the presence of Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at a government function.
Addressing an event for the launch of railway projects, Mr Siva claimed that while he had allotted Rs 1 crore from his MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) Fund for an escalator at Tiruchirapalli railway junction - which was inaugurated by Mr Prabhu - there was no mention of that contribution in either the official advertisements or the invite for the function.
He also cited incidents involving various leaders, including his party's chief M Karunanidhi, claiming they were sidelined at public functions.
Mr Siva said that although 'Valluvar Kottam' (a monument to Tamil saint poet Tiruvalluvar) was a pet project of Mr Karunanidhi's, he was given a seat only in the 13th row when it was inaugurated (during President's rule in 1976).
Mr Chinnayya, when the turn came for him to speak, referred to Mr Siva's speech and quoted a proverb meaning "as you sow, so shall you reap" before thanking Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and resuming his seat.
No sooner had he done that than a war of words broke out between Mr Siva and the animal husbandry minister even as Mr Prabhu rose to address the gathering. However, nothing much could be made out of the exchange between the two even as a section of the audience, too, began to shout.
BJP Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Soundararajan, who was seated next to Siva, was seen trying to pacify the DMK lawmaker.
"I told Chinnayya that what he had said was unwarranted as I did not speak politics. I only recalled incidents wherein leaders were sidelined," Siva said.
He claimed that Mr Chinnayya told him he could not keep quiet if such comments were made.
"It was I who got the minister's date for this function and it was scheduled to have been held in Tiruchirappalli, but that was not done," he said. When contacted, Mr Chinnayya said, "Whatever I have said (at the event) is sufficient. I don't want to say anything more."
The Railway Minister earlier laid the foundation stone for a third broad-gauge line between Tambaram and Chengalpattu. He also commissioned an escalator connecting platforms II and III at Tiruchirappalli railway junction.