Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday said DMK president M.K. Stalin was the “prime reason” for the violent anti-Sterlite protests and consequent loss of lives in Thoothukudi. He contended that Mr. Stalin, as Minister in the erstwhile DMK regime, had given permission and land for the copper smelter plant’s expansion.
“Unrest erupted in Thoothukudi as Sterlite Copper went ahead with its expansion plans with the permission and the land given by Mr. Stalin, who made an announcement in this connection in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Anyone can check these facts with the minutes of the Assembly. After being the prime reason for the violent protests and consequent loss of lives by giving permission for Sterlite Copper’s expansion, he is blaming us. Mr. Stalin, who is solely responsible for the ‘Thoothukudi incident’, is lying through his teeth,” Mr. Palaniswami charged, when interacting with reporters after chairing a COVID-19 review meeting in the district.
When asked for his reaction about Mr. Stalin calling him a ‘fake farmer’, a visibly furious Mr. Palaniswami wanted to know about the occupation of the DMK president. Proudly calling himself a ‘farmer’, the Chief Minister said he had worked in his fields even when he was a boy, and had fully understood the problems being faced by the farmers even though he was a politician.
“Hence, we are according highest priority to the farming sector by allotting sufficient funds for new irrigation schemes, ‘kudimaramaththu’ works, modern irrigation techniques, crop loans etc. He is the one who asked a palmyrah climber if he had added sugar in the neera (pathaneer). Does he know anything about agriculture and the problems associated with it? What is his occupation,” Mr. Palaniswami asked.
The Chief Minister said his government had received the Union Government’s first prize for having implemented best water management practices in the State, where water for irrigation was not abundantly available. “Through the kudimaramaththu projects, construction of check-dams at various places and taking sincere efforts to link rivers like Cauvery – Gundar – Vaigai and by bringing 10 TMC Krishna water to quench the thirst of Chennai residents, we manage our water requirements despite scarcity. Since I am a farmer, I have understood these problems and identified right solutions,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
He ridiculed Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi of DMK, who had charged that the AIADMK government had done nothing good for the development of the port town. “The people of Thoothukudi are very much aware of the new projects and development work being implemented here by Amma’s Government for the development of this district. We are not worried about the understanding of Ms. Kanimozhi,” he said.
Mr. Palaniswami said that starting 11 medical colleges and six law colleges in Tamil Nadu were great achievements.
Earlier in the day, the hashtag #GobackEPS trended on Twitter coinciding with Mr Palaniswami’s visit to the town, which has witnessed the firing on anti-Sterlite protestors, the Sattankulam custodial deaths and the murder of a trader Selvam in the last two years. AIADMK functionaries, however, dismissed it as the handiwork of the DMK IT wing.
