Chennai: Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday chided his bete noire and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa for not voicing her opposition to the reported remarks of Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka terming Tamil Nadu politicians, including her ally Vaiko, as "political jokers".

He said that leaders cutting across political lines, including the two Left parties, who had recently aligned with the AIADMK, and PMK as well as VCK had condemned Fonseka’s remarks calling MDMK leader Vaiko and Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran "political jokers" and "corrupt".

Without making a direct mention of Jayalalithaa, he said that Tamil people should ponder whether there was any meaning in according the status of a leader on "certain persons."

Citing reports in a section of media which carried all the names of leaders who had reacted to this episode, he asked "Why was the name of a particular party (AIADMK) missing? Who is the leader who has missed out?" prompting the crowd to mention Jayalalithaa’s name.

"Those whose names are not there in the list published in the newspaper are not Tamils... As Tamils, we should stand united during such occasions and speak in one voice and the differences between us should not come in our way," he said.