Former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is duping the public by stating that there were no witnesses on the corruption charges pending against former union ministers Dayanidhi Maran and A Raja, while defending his action of fielding them again in the LS elections, said AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Addressing an election meeting in support of the party’s Erode candidate S Selvakumara Chinnaiyan at Paranchervazhi, near Kangayam on Thursday, she said the CBI had filed a chargesheet against Raja in the 2G spectrum scam. Similarly, charges were pending against Maran.
Karunanidhi did not say that they were not involved in corruption, he only said there were no witnesses in the case, she noted. She also attacked him that he did not do anything for the state though his party was in the Union cabinet for the past 17 years. Yet, he questioned her for the delay in laying foundation for the Ennore power project.
On the steps taken by her party to improve power generation in the state, she said a pact was signed to buy 3,300 MW for the next 15 years and also announced new projects to produce 5,300 MW. She announced the 670 MW Ennore power project on March 29, 2012, and laid the foundation on January 24, 2013. The work order was given on February 27, 2014.
Despite the difficult process in implementing power projects like getting permission from the Centre, environment clearance, etc and despite the Central government being against the interest of TN, the project work commenced within 2 years, she noted. But, Karunanidhi did not do anything to tackle the power crisis, she charged.
In the Cauvery issue also, the tribunal order came in 2007. But neither the Congress nor the DMK took steps to implement it. Only after she came to power, she approached the Supreme Court and got success in publishing it in the gazette. Even then the Centre did not constitute the Cauvery River Authority and Cauvery Management Board, she charged. The people should teach a lesson to the DMK and Congress on this issue also, she pleaded.