CHENNAI: As hundreds of party workers staged massive protests across Tamil Nadu on Saturday, Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin accused the BJP government at the Centre of being "unconcerned" over the plight of the MGNREGA workers.
Flaying the BJP government for not releasing the salaries due for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers, he said they don't like Mahatma Gandhi and the 100 days work scheme named after him.
"The ruthless BJP has set out to destroy the #MGNREGA developed by the #UPA government as the backbone and lifeblood of the Indian rural economy. When lakhs of crores of rupees is waived off for the corporates by one signature, why is there no money to be released as salaries to the poor who have toiled with their sweat under the scorching sun? No money or no heart?" Stalin asked in a post on the social media platform X.
He further said the voices of DMK members and poor people should reach New Delhi through today's protest across Tamil Nadu, he said.
"Shame on the #SadistBJP government!" Stalin said in the post.
Scores of women too participated in the protest in about 1,170 places to condemn the Centre and also to demand the BJP government to immediately release Rs 4,034 crore due for the MGNREGA workers.
During the protest, the members held placards condemning the Centre and asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi - Where's our salary.
Another placard said the CM was providing Rs 1,000 monthly financial aid to women.
The Chief Minister had announced nation-wide protests on Saturday to urge the Centre to release the pending wages to the beneficiaries of MGNREGA.