Congress today slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha for her decision to skip the conference of Chief Ministers on internal security here tomorrow saying no body should "undermine" an important meeting like this over "petty politics".
Party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said not getting enough time to speak in a meeting should not be used an "alibi" by any Chief Minister to undermine the importance of a meeting of Naxal issue, which is one of the most serious problems before the country.
"This alibi is not right. No Chief Minister should engage in petty politics. Naxal problem is a serious problem and all Chief Ministers should understand its seriousness. Anybody's not coming to attend the meeting will be his or her problem but that does impinge on the importance of the meeting," he said.
Holding that chief ministers were given "very little" opportunity to express their views during "ritualistic" conferences chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Jayalalithaa has decided to skip the conference of Chief Ministers on internal security tomorrow.
The conference in Delhi will be chaired by the Prime Minister.
Observing that the conference of Chief Ministers on internal security was a very important function concerning the maintenance of public order, Jayalalithaa said in a letter to Singh that such conferences held by the Centre have become an "annual ritualistic exercise and very little opportunity was given to Chief Ministers to express their views".
