Industrial Minister Keerthana is a major topic of discussion on social media, with claims that she did not travel to London and that there was a discrepancy in the medical report submitted for her surgery. We put a few questions to her while she was campaigning in Dharapuram for the by-election.
Has it become controversial that you attended an event with Hyundai on the day of your surgery?
"A review meeting on the Hyundai shipbuilding project to be set up in Thoothukudi was held on September 9. The Public Relations Department released it as a press note that same day.
I posted about that on my official social media page the next day, September 10. Since that day was the surgery date as per the doctor’s advice, they are stirring up unnecessary controversies on social media. Spreading information contrary to the truth is the job of the PEN company, which is part of the DMK. Now it has turned toward my side as well."
They are saying that the Hyundai shipbuilding port is going to move from Thoothukudi to Andhra Pradesh, aren’t they?
"The Hyundai shipbuilding port in South Korea was affected by a storm. As a result, the company suffered losses worth tens of thousands of crores of rupees. Since then, Hyundai has been choosing shipbuilding port locations only in places that are not hit by storms or other natural disasters.
Work is continuing at the Hyundai shipbuilding port that is to be established in Thoothukudi only after studying that it would not be affected by cyclones in any way. Since studies showed that the place they can point to in Andhra is more prone to cyclones and natural disasters, Hyundai has currently chosen only Tamil Nadu. In this situation, the rumor spread by some people from Andhra state that Hyundai is going to Andhra is now being circulated across Tamil Nadu. They tell me that Hyundai does not like this either."
Why this surgery at a time when he should be going to London to attract investment?
"In March 2023, when I was riding a two-wheeler, a dog suddenly came across and fell, injuring my shoulder. At that time, after taking an X-ray, the doctors said the shoulder bone had fractured. When they said surgery had to be done immediately, I underwent surgery. A plate was fixed then. For the past month, the plate fixed in the shoulder bone has caused an infection, along with itching and swelling. When I showed this to the doctor, he recommended that the plate be removed, so I was forced to undergo surgery."
"It was while I was working at the pen company for the DMK in the last election that this accident happened and I broke a bone. Even after the surgery was done then, I continued doing computer work with one hand, despite this same pain in my hand.

Now that I have taken on the responsibility of being a minister, I am carrying out my duties despite the pain. Yet on social media, they mock me, asking how I can lift a bucket and serve food with the hand that had surgery. Because I had undergone surgery, under the breakfast expansion scheme, I served food to only ten children with a painful hand. If I had stayed away without serving the food, they would have criticized that on social media too. I repeat, I do not know how to act like DMK people."
They are accusing the medical report of being fake, aren’t they?
"When the Chief Minister went to London to attract investments, they insulted me by saying things like, ‘What is wrong with Keerthana’s body for four days? Is it menstruation...?’ In the same way, they are spreading rumors that the medical report is fake."
There are criticisms that the dominance of Reddy gangs is increasing under the T.V.K. government, aren’t there? You thanked Vishnu Reddy in the Assembly... why?
"Since taking office until today, the T.V.K. government has received more criticism than praise. One such criticism is what you say about the dominance of Reddy gangs. Vishnu Reddy, seeing my abilities in the recently concluded Assembly election, secured me the opportunity to contest from the Sivakasi constituency. I mentioned his name in the Assembly only for that reason... there was no other hidden motive behind it."
They say T.V.K. has little chance of winning in the Dharapuram-Maduranthakam by-election?
Just like that, in the recently concluded Assembly election too, they said Vijay’s party would not come to power and that he would go back to acting. On the contrary, T.V.K. came to power. Likewise, when Vijay anna was campaigning in the Dharapuram and Madurantakam by-elections, the people of this constituency will give us a huge victory."
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