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In an unusual belligerence not seen for quite some time, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday attacked the Centre for not inviting her to the presidential swearing-in ceremony on Thursday and said inviting people like the Ambani brothers was like 'adding insult to injury'.
Questioning the 'special qualifications' of Ambani brothers for being invited, she said she and the people of the state have been 'insulted and humiliated' by denial of an invitation to her as the new President hails from Tamil Nadu.
In a hard-hitting four page statement, she said the act of 'deliberately omitting' the chief minister of Tamil Nadu from the list of invitees to the ceremony was an 'affront' to the people of the state and an 'assault' on the spirit of federalism itself.
Denying press reports she had boycotted the function as she had received only an ordinary invitation and not a special invitation, Jayalalithaa said, "No invitation was extended to me for this function by the central government."
"This attitude of the Government of India deserves to be severely condemned by all right thinking people," she said.
PTI
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