One more DMK MLA — K.S. Masthan, representing the Gingee constituency — has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been admitted to a private hospital.
He is the fourth DMK MLA to test positive for the infection.
Vasantham Karthick, representing the Rishivandhiyam constituency, and R.T. Arasu, from the Cheyyur constituency, have already tested positive and are undergoing treatment.
Earlier this month, the DMK suffered a jolt when its Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni legislator, J. Anbazhagan, died days after testing positive for COVID-19.
A few days ago, the party’s former north Chennai unit secretary L. Balaraman, who had also tested positive for COVID-19, had died.
The DMK has been reaching out to people through its scheme, Ondrinaivom Vaa (Come, let’s unite), and has been distributing relief, besides setting up community kitchens. But its efforts have come under criticism from the Chief Minister, who has blamed DMK leader M.K. Stalin for the spread of COVID-19.
“Had Mr. Stalin and his party listened to experts’ advice and observed the COVID-19 safety guidelines that the State government had issued to combat the spread of the disease, this would not have happened,” Mr. Palaniswami had said a few days ago. Rejecting the charges, DMK MLA and former Chennai Mayor Ma. Subramanian said it was “unbecoming of a Chief Minister” to level such baseless and blatant allegations.
“The Chief Minister is not able to accept the scale of relief work done by the DMK. In fact, he is responsible for the spread of the virus. If he had listened to our leader [M.K. Stalin] and adjourned the Assembly, convened an all-party meet, given special attention to the two zones [in Chennai] with severe infection and kept Tasmac liquor outlets shut, the infection would not have turned uncontrollable. He is blaming the DMK only to divert attention from his failure,” Mr. Subramanian told The Hindu.
He said that the MLAs were victims of “community spread”.
“Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar has said that there is no community spread in Madurai [implying, unlike in Chennai]. Knowingly or unknowingly he has admitted that there is community spread [in the State capital],” Mr. Subramanian said.
