AIADMK co-coordinator and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday asked Chief Minister M.K. Stalin what prevented the DMK regime from implementing an electoral promise of getting petroleum products covered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He sought a clarification from the Chief Minister on the issue.
In a statement, he referred to the reported observation of DMK treasurer and Parliamentary party leader T.R. Baalu wherein he had favoured the inclusion of petrol and diesel within the GST on the ground that the prices of the products would go down by ₹40 to ₹50 per litre. Mr. Baalu was also said to have mentioned that this was the position mentioned in the election manifesto of the party for the Assembly election.
Mr. Palaniswami referred to reports in sections of the media that the Union government favoured the move which was being opposed only by Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Huge crowds
In a separate statement, the party coordinator, O. Panneerselvam criticised the DMK government for not following up properly on his call for taking effective steps to curb the assembly of people to contain the spread of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. He mentioned the presence of huge crowds on the Besant Nagar beach and Ranganathan Street in T. Nagar, besides Kasimedu.
T.T.V. Dhinakaran, AMMK general secretary, questioned the DMK’s “change of position” with regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Referring to the proposed visit of Mr. Modi to Tamil Nadu next month and the statement of a DMK spokesperson that there was no need to oppose his visit, he said the ruling party’s “dual role” was getting exposed, as it took one position while in the Opposition and had reversed the stand now.
