CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the opposition AIADMK, questioning its silence over the VB-G RAM G Bill which will replace MGNREGA. He said it would adversely affect farmers and the rural poor.
In a social media post, Stalin accused the AIADMK of betraying farmers while claiming to represent agrarian interests, and sought clarity on the party’s position regarding the VB-G RAM G bill, which he said would directly impact the livelihood of rural and economically weaker sections.
Recalling AIADMK’s support to the three farm laws and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Stalin asked whether AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami would once again extend support to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on this issue.
The CM also criticised the union government for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the MGNREGA scheme and renaming it in Hindi. He questioned why the AIADMK, which bears the name of former CM C N Annadurai, who strongly opposed Hindi imposition, had failed to raise objections.
Stalin further alleged that under the proposed framework, all conditions of the scheme would be controlled by the union government, while the financial burden would be partly borne by the state. He asked whether the AIADMK had accepted this without protest and whether former CM J Jayalalithaa would have agreed to such terms.
Warning that TN could face the risk of the 100-day employment scheme coming to a halt, Stalin asked how Palaniswami intended to justify this.
Stalin said the questions were not his alone but reflected the concerns of the people of TN and asked whether a party that ‘repeatedly bows’ to the union government could still justify carrying the name ‘Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’.
Left parties announce statewide stir on Dec 23 against central govt’s move
Chennai: Left parties, including the CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML) Liberation, along with the VCK, have announced a statewide protest on December 23, opposing what they termed as the union government’s attempt to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
In a joint statement, signed by CPM state secretary P Shanmugam, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian, CPI(ML) state secretary P Aasaithambi and VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, the parties recalled that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005, was enacted on September 5 under the UPA government following sustained efforts by Left parties, with support from the DMK and Congress.
The law, they said, for the first time in India’s history, guaranteed 100 days of employment annually to rural households dependent solely on manual labour. The statement alleged since assuming power in 2014, the BJP-led centre has systematically weakened MGNREGS by cutting allocations, reducing workdays and number of beneficiaries, and delaying fund release.
As part of their protest, demonstrations will be held at district, taluk and union headquarters across Tamil Nadu on December 23, demanding that the centre withdraw the bill and protect MGNREGS in its existing form.