Chennai, May 06: Joining issue with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on the question of seating arrangements during Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's airport function here on Sunday, DMK said today as per protocol only Union ministers and state governors would be seated on either side of the Prime Minister, if it was a Central government function. If the function was state-sponsored, chief ministers and state governors would be seated on either side of the Prime Minister, former chief minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi said in a statement here. "If she is so much bothered about protocol, why was the first row allotted to people unconnected with the event, when she was sworn-in as chief minister and that the leader of the opposition, was given a seat in the 40th row?," he asked. On her statement that the Centre had not acceded to her request to name the new airport terminal after late M G Ramachandran (her mentor), Karunanidhi said when a film city was established during her previous rule, the entire film industry wanted it to be named after MGR but she named it after herself. "This shows her affection and respect for MGR." "People have not forgotten her letter to late prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, that MGR was jealous of her rising popularity," Karunanidhi said.

Bureau Report