The Tamil Nadu government had so far been lethargic when it came to taking action against extremist elements that have been conspiring to shut down industries and create unemployment in the State, Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan said here on Saturday. The government should act at least now, in the wake of the violence during anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi, he added.
The minister told reporters on the sidelines of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP’s) Coimbatore Urban District Executive Committee Meeting that while criticising and protesting against government was part of democracy, what was not was calling for closure of industries and instigating violence.
The Tamil Nadu Government had been lethargic and ineffective in tackling the extremist elements and had only now begun to act, he said.
Responding to a question on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam conducting mock assembly sessions outside the Tamil Nadu Assembly, he said the party that had grown by staging plays and because of its association with films, continued to stage drama outside the Assembly. What the DMK was doing was tantamount to mocking the people who elected its MLAs.
The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP was thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having solved the Cauvery water sharing dispute by constituting the Cauvery Management Board. By issuing a government order, the Central Government had made it binding on the Karnataka Government to follow the board's orders in releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, he said.
If at all there were to be problems in the future, the DMK and Congress should take lead and responsibility in solving those because it was a Congress coalition government that was in power in Karnataka.
In response to a question on opposition in Karnataka against the release of actor Rajinikanth's film Kaala, the Minister said that again it was the responsibility of the DMK and Congress to raise the issue with the Karnataka government because it was their coalition government that was in power in that State.
Besides, be it Rajinikanth's or any other actor's film, it was wrong to oppose the release of films, he said.
Responding to a question on action against BJP member and actor S.Ve. Shekhar for his comments against journalists on a social media platform, the Minister said the law would take its course.