THANJAVUR/TIRUCHY: Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced five welfare schemes, including the establishment of a third Waqf Tribunal at Coimbatore and the increase of pension for Ulemas registered with TN Waqf Board from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000, and the family pension from Rs 1,500 to Rs2,500. He was speaking at the state Mahalla Jamaats Conference organised by Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) near Kumbakonam in which office-bearers of around 8,000 Jamaats across the state participated.
Stalin also said in the first phase, 1,000 ulemas will receive the increased subsidy of Rs 50,000 for buying two wheelers. The other announcements include creation of Kabaristan in city corporation areas where there is none, and filling of 10 vacant posts of Urdu language teachers at government high schools and higher secondary schools.
The chief minister asserted that only the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance has the strength to defeat the “anti-people” AIADMK-BJP alliance in the upcoming Assembly election.
“The only state in the country which is safe for Muslims is Tamil Nadu. The DMK has been protecting the minorities and hence incidents like mob lynching could not rear its head in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
The efforts of those who were trying to disturb the peace had been in vain, he said, adding, “Hence they formed in their own interest, an alliance of those who are servile by threatening with agencies like ED, CBI and I-T.”
Pointing at AIADMK’s support to the contentious Citizenships Amendment Act (CAA), the chief minister said Edappadi K Palaniswami has been continuing his betrayal of Muslims. “But for AIADMK’s support, the CAA bill would have been defeated in the Rajya Sabha,” he said. He further pointed out the DMK government had courageously declared the CAA would not be implemented in Tamil Nadu.
He also referred to the DMK’s vote against the Triple Talaq bill and Waqf Amendment Bill. “If the BJP alliance comes to power in Tamil Nadu, it will ruin the developed state. Only the DMK alliance has the courage and strength to stop it (from coming to power),” Stalin declared. Pointing out that the DMK cadre have started their door-to-door campaign, he urged the IUML cadre, particularly the youth and women, to campaign for those who will protect and enable their growth.
IUML chief KM Kader Mohideen, who presided over the meeting, said his party and members of Mahalla Jamaats will ensure the continuance of the Dravida Model government. Meanwhile in Tiruchy, Stalin reiterated that DMK would hold a massive public conference in the district on March 8, and that around 10 lakh people are expected to take part in it.