Jayalalithaa questions 10-minute time for speech, walks out of NDC meet

Jayalalita

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa walked out of the National Development Council meet on Thursday after being interrupted during her speech. 

At the NDC meet in the national capital, the bell rang as Jayalalithaa completed the allotted time of 10 minutes for her speech and she was asked to stop.


Jayalalithaa said 10 minutes were not enough for a Chief Minister to complete his or her speech and walked out of the meet. "I began my speech, as soon 10 minutes were over, they rang the bell, I felt humiliated," Jayalalithaa said.


"I have attended many conferences before convened by the PM, such a procedure has never been followed in the past," she added. She also accused the government of stifling the voices of opposition states.


"The plan document is so lengthy and encompasses so many subjects that CMs can't express their views in 10 minutes.

Just to allot 10 minutes and humiliate, this is a move to stifle the voice of opposition states," she said.


Sources in the government clarified saying that every chief minister was asked to speak for 10 minutes since the NDC meet is a day-long meet and there were several issues on the agenda.

Jayalalithaa was reportedly on page 10 of her 28-page speech when the bell rang.


The National Development Council meet will look at the approval of the 12th Five Year Plan. Other Chief Ministers including Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi were also attending the meet.