The AIADMK on Friday organised demonstrations in different parts of Tamil Nadu to highlight what it called the DMK Government’s failure to tackle various issues such as the rising prices of essentials and to keep its election promises.
Taking part in an event at Bungalowmedu near Theni, AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam said that after making “tall promises”, the ruling party had now gone “silent”, with the government remaining a “non-starter”. Under “one pretext or the other”, the government had only been making announcements but “nothing tangible” had emerged.
Flood relief
The recent floods in Cuddalore, Villupuram, Chennai and other districts had severely affected the masses. While the Chief Minister toured the affected areas, people were yet to get the relief. Whether in power or not, the AIADMK had “done its duty”, he said.
Attacking the government for its “miserable failure” on the Mullaperiyar dam row, the AIADMK coordinator said thousands of farmers depended on the Mullaperiyar water for irrigation. Instead of being firm with the Kerala Government and asserting the State’s rights, the government remained “passive”, which led to a “unilateral decision” by the neighbouring State last month. He appealed to the farmers to remain calm. In a statement, Mr. Panneerselvam expressed sadness over the death of a nine-year-old girl in Dindigul district after she was found lying with her body half-burnt, and demanded a probe into the incident.
Leading the protest in front of the Salem Collectorate with scores of members of his party, Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami said his party was not afraid of the “false cases” registered by the DMK Government, and it would give a fitting reply to the ruling party’s “false propaganda”. The protesters raised slogans against the government.
‘False propaganda’
Mr. Palaniswami accused the government of having failed to fully waive the farm loans lent by cooperative banks, and added that it was indulging in “false propaganda” against the AIADMK Government’s waiver scheme. The government was yet to implement the schemes to provide ₹1,000 each to home-makers and a subsidy of ₹100 per gas cylinder, and reduce fuel prices, as promised by the DMK during the election campaign.
Mr. Palaniswami said government officials were “feeling let down” by the government’s failure to restore the old pension scheme. He added that the government did not take “precautionary measures” ahead of the northeast monsoon.
At Royapuram in Chennai, former Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar led a demonstration, wearing a garland of vegetables and provisions to highlight the issue of the rising prices of essentials.
