Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday made it clear that the government had not given permission for the BJP’s Vetrivel Yatra.
Talking to journalists here after reviewing the measures to combat COVID-19, he said BJP State president L. Murugan and other leaders were taken into preventive custody in Tiruttani because a rally was held without permission. As for the opposition from a section of farmers to the construction of transmission towers on agriculture land, he appealed to them for cooperation as “there is no alternative to ensuring power supply”.
“For the development of our State, we are bringing electricity from other States. Our farmers must extend their co-operation to the construction of the towers. There is no other option,” he said.
Mr. Palaniswami said the DMK had “no moral right” to criticise the AIADMK over the release of the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He said the DMK government in 2000 had rejected the mercy petitions of the convicts, except that of S. Nalini. But the AIADMK government passed a resolution in the Assembly for their release and sent it to the Governor for his assent.
There had been some progress in the talks between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the proposed Pandiyar-Punnampuzha diversion scheme, he said.
