Chennai: AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa on Tuesday slammed arch rival, DMK president and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for attending a film function when the state was reeling under the monsoon fury, and likened him to Roman Emperor Nero ''who fiddled when the city (Rome) was burning.''
''Thousands of hectares of standing crops have gone under water, 170 persons and nearly 2000 cattle have been killed in various rain-related incidents and people are suffering due to the rain and floods...At such a time, he had happily spent time by attending a cinema music release function,'' she said in a statement here.
The Opposition Leader said most of Karunanidhi's cabinet colleagues were also present at the function and criticised the timing of the event.
''Is this public service? Is such a programme necessary at this point of time,'' she asked.
As then chief Minister in 2005, when record rains pounded the state, she visited many affected areas to take stock of the situation and also ensured that government machinery was engaged to take up relief on 'war-footing', Jayalalithaa said.
She alleged that people in many affected areas were not getting adequate relief and referred to reports that proper damage-assessment was not being carried out by officials.
She said her partymen would distribute relief material in affected areas.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 07, 2010, 13:53