Jaya dumped new secretariat due to hatred: MK

CHENNAI: DMK president M Karunanidhi on Saturday said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa dumped the new secretariat complex built by his previous regime only because of her "political hatred" and stubbornness and not due to administrative convenience as claimed by her."The fact that the DMK regime constructed the building could be the only reason. Her citing lack of infrastructure was only to hide her real motive," he said in a statement.He said Jayalalithaa during her previous regime in 2001-06 had wanted to shift the secretariat citing cracks in the building and even scouted for new locations.A site for a new secretariat was identified and puja for construction had also started in Kotturpuram then."In fact, even members from her own party visited the new secretariat on many days. But, without even visiting it once, Jayalalithaa had chosen to shift to old secretariat building disregarding advice by various political leaders," he said.Declining to move into government buildings built with public money was an "insult to the public" and it was an "act of diverting the government machinery for an individual's stubbornness," he said.