CHENNAI: Continuing his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections in the State capital for the second day, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday hit out at DMK candidate for the Chennai Central constituency, Dayanidhi Maran, on various counts and charged that he was seeking people’s mandate not to serve the people but to safeguard his assets.
During his whistle-stop campaign across the Chennai Central and Chennai South constituencies where PMK candidate Sam Paul and AIADMK candidate J Jayavardhan are contesting, the Chief Minister said a FERA violation case was still pending against Dayanidhi Maran. Maran brothers are among the richest in the country, owning 50 television channels. “Can’t they offer their television channels for free? Instead, they have fixed the monthly package at Rs 49 per cable connection. It is due to them only that cable TV charge has gone up,” Palaniswami added. “Did you (people of Chennai Central) ever spot Dayanidhi Maran in your constituency for the past many years? He comes only during election time and vanishes. On the other hand, PMK candidate Sam Paul would move around you and work for you,” the CM said.
Sadiq Basha was a real estate businessman from Perambalur and former Telecom Minister A Raja had invested crores and got through spectrum in the company owned by Basha. During the CBI inquiry, a revelation made by Basha that a key accused in spectrum case had met DMK president MK Stalin had cost Basha his life.
Palaniswami said the then DMK regime had dismissed the case as suicide but his family had been asserting that Basha was indeed murdered.
Recently, the family of Basha gave an advertisement in newspapers to mark his death anniversary with the caption ‘kooda natpu kedaai mudiyum (bad company would only end up in disaster). Subsequently, Basha’s wife was assaulted. The State government would investigate this appropriately. “The current election is an election for ensuring the safety of our country. Neighbouring countries, unable to digest India’s growth, are sending terrorists into our country to create confusion. In this hour, India needs a strong, efficient and capable Prime Minister and that is Narendra Modi,” he added.
Highlighting the achievements of the AIADMK government in various sectors, the Chief Minister said the next stage of Metro Rail project would be implemented in time and electric buses would be operated in Chennai to reduce pollution.