CHENNAI: At a time when top leaders of the ruling AIADMK are maintaining cordial ties with the Centre, the party mouthpiece Namadhu Amma on Friday struck a different note by sending out a strong note of caution to the BJP. It said neglecting Tamil Nadu on every vital issue would not help anymore and if the Centre failed to change its attitude, it would cause a “crack” in the unity of the nation.
A poem ‘Raging hatred’, published in Namadhu Amma, said Tamil Nadu is known for its hospitality. The poem, without explicitly mentioning the black flag protests staged against PM Narendra Modi when he visited the city on Thursday, wondered, “How come so much of black (flags) everywhere and people’s rage echoing in all directions. This was caused by irresponsible, partial activities of the Centre.”
Stating that remarks by BJP leaders like H Raja and Tamilisai Soundararajan have incurred the ire of the people, it said, “Without wasting even a moment, the Centre should change its apathy towards TN; if not, it will cause a ‘crack’ in the unity of the nation.”
The poem has listed various issues over which Tamil Nadu has continuously been neglected by the Centre. “We have asked for exemption from NEET but it was denied; yet we requested at least a year’s time to implement it; that too was turned down. The State government asked for relief assistance for the damage caused by Cyclone Vardah. It was never given. We have made appeals for ending the Neduvasal protests against hydrocarbon extraction; but the Centre dragged the issue without giving any concrete reply,” the poem said.
Mentioning some other issues over which the Centre has ignored Tamil Nadu, the poem said that when the Sri Lankan Navy arrested Tamil Nadu fishermen, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy fuelled the issue by advising the Lankan government not to release the boats of our fishermen. Despite the fact that Tamil Nadu is the second largest contributor in the country to revenue of the Central government, the State is being betrayed. “As such, who else can remain calm if such apathy continues,” the poem queried.