AIADMK MLAs complain of cold shoulder from Tamil Nadu govt

COIMBATORE: AIADMK MLAs from the Coimbatore district have alleged that they were being cold-shouldered by the state government in official events.
On Friday, the MLAs said they have not been invited for government functions though they should be invited as people’s representatives of the respective assembly constituencies.
AIADMK MLAs Amman Arjunan (Coimbatore North), S Damodaran (Kinathukadavu), V P Kandasamy (Sulur) and A K Kandasamy (Valparai) met district collector G S Sameeran and submitted a petition alleging that while the duly elected public representatives were sidelined in government functions, DMK office-bearers are being given prominence.
“For instance, when an official function was organised to mark the construction of a mandapam in Maruthamalai temple, neither the MLA of the constituency nor the councillor of the ward were invited since both belong to AIADMK. Whereas, DMK’s area secretary was given importance at the event,’’ Amman Arjunan alleged.
In events organised to distribute government welfare measures in Kinathukadavu constituency, the MLA was being left out often, he said. Even when the MLAs chose to attend the function, the welfare measures are distributed hurriedly before they could reach the venue. “Is this Dravidian model of governance?” he asked.
Arjunan charged that though their names are being printed on the invitations, they are not invited. The names are printed only to deceive people, he said.
The MLAs said that this situation prevails only in Coimbatore. In other districts, the MLAs are given due prominence in all government functions.