Jaya responds over seat row; says no intent to disrespect Stalin

A day after DMK president M. Karunanidhi complained about the seating arrangement for his son M K Stalin at the swearing-in ceremony of J. Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK chief on Tuesday said 'there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his party'.

"I am happy to note that Thiru M.K.Stalin, MLA attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Council of Ministers on 23rd May, 2016. I thank him for attending the event, I understand that he (Stalin) was seated in the block of seats intended for Members of the Legislative Assembly. If this seating plan caused him any discomfiture, I would like to assure him that there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his party," Jayalalithaa said in a statement.

"I am informed that the Public Department had followed the Protocol Manual in allocating seats in the hall for the event," she added.

Jayalalithaa, who took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the sixth time, said if she would have been informed she would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements to provide a seat to Stalin in the first row, relaxing the norms in the Protocol Manual.

"Had the officers brought to my notice that Thiru M.K.Stalin would be attending the event, I would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the Protocol Manual," she added.

She also conveyed her good wishes to Stalin, saying she looks forward to working with the DMK for the betterment of Tamil Nadu.

M Karunanidhi, the 93-year-old chief of the DMK, said that Jayalalithaa, 68, "deliberately humiliated" his son, MK Stalin, by having him seated in a row towards the end.