TIRUVANNAMALAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said that despite the union government throwing a spanner in Tamil Nadu’s works and posing a string of challenges for TN, the state under the DMK government’s rule has come through these with flying colours.
“Despite the challenges posed by the centre such as GST injustice, denial of rightful funds, interference by the governor, and also betrayal by political opponents in the state, Tamil Nadu has progressed. This is the Dravidian model,” said Stalin. The CM was speaking after distributing welfare assistance in Tiruvannamalai’s Malappambadi.
He said the DMK regime is working for the overall development of TN which includes each and every district and every family. The Dravidian model of governance and growth across sectors speaks volumes about the state overcoming the string of challenges.
Stalin said that even people who never supported the DMK earlier are now openly praising the party’s governance, reforms in education sector and welfare schemes.
“In contrast, failures of the union (NDA) government including economic decline, air pollution in Delhi, and collapsing infrastructure are being criticised even by their own supporters,” he said, adding that the DMK government too gets criticisms, but it corrects its mistakes when the criticisms are fair.
“But the union government ignores people’s voices, weakens schemes like the 100-day rural employment programme (MGNREGA) and removes workers’ rights,” he said.
Criticising the centre’s move to rename the now-scrapped MGNREGA as VB–G RAM G, he said the DMK had opposed this in Parliament. “We are fighting against this in Parliament and in the people’s court as well,” Stalin said. However, opposition leader and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami did not have the courage to oppose the scrapping of MGNREGA and hence, he has spoken in support of the new legislation, he added.
Further, Stalin alleged that the BJP and the AIADMK are trying to spread lies about the DMK, and urged the people of Tamil Nadu to see through these falsehoods. “This is why Dravidian Model 2.0 is inevitable. I request the people of Tiruvannamalai to continue extending their full support to the party in the polls next year so that Tamil Nadu remains number one,” Stalin said.
Meanwhile, in another address after inaugurating an agriculture expo and seminar here, the CM took a veiled dig at Palaniswami saying, “Some engage in politics by donning the garb of a farmer. However, they support laws (the now-repealed three central farm laws) that hurt farmers.”
Stalin said that unlike others, for the Dravidian model government, the welfare and growth of farmers alone is important.
Welfare aid distributed to over 2 lakh beneficiaries
During the event held at Malappambadi, Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated completed works, laid foundation stones for new projects and distributed welfare assistance to beneficiaries. As many as 314 completed works worth a total of Rs 631.48 crore were inaugurated, foundation stones for 46 new projects worth Rs 63.74 crore were laid and welfare assistance worth Rs 1,400.57 crore was distributed to 2,66,194 beneficiaries