Accusing the AIADMK government of having let the people down in all spheres, DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday described as a drama the notification declaring the Cauvery delta region a protected agricultural zone.
Addressing a well-attended public meeting in Madurai, during which former AIADMK Minister Raja Kannappan rejoined the DMK along with his followers, Mr. Stalin said the current AIADMK government had failed on all fronts. “There is utter chaos in the State. The Budget presented by Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam in the Assembly is itself a reflection of the fact that Tamil Nadu’s economy is in a state of coma,” he said.
The notification of certain delta districts as being part of a protected agricultural zone was nothing but a ploy to buy peace with the people living in the belt, he alleged.
"I have a strong suspicion that this is nothing but an attempt to give an impression that the AIADMK is with the people and for the people,” he said.
Mr. Stalin claimed some media houses were praising the State government on the issue with an ulterior motive. This was unethical, he said and urged the people to ponder over it.
Commenting on the State’s finances, Mr. Stalin said government borrowing was on the rise. “There is corruption all around, and the economy has shrunk due to a rise in unemployment,” he said, adding that this was mentioned by the Finance Minister while presenting the Budget.
The Palaniswami government’s announcement that February 24, which marks the birth anniversary of former CM Jayalalithaa, will be observed as the ‘State Girl Child Protection Day’ was also a drama, the DMK leader said. “When the government has not condoled the death of Subasri, an employee of a software firm, in an accident involving an AIADMK banner, and has not even offered compensation to the bereaved family, such an announcement is nothing but misleading,” he said.
On CAA-NPR-NRC, the State government was playing a double game, he alleged.