CHENNAI: “DMK has disproved the charge of it being an anti-Hindu party through measures taken by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and over Rs 2,043 crore worth of encroached temple land parcels have been retrieved over the past 10 months,” Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Tuesday.
In a video released by the party, the Chief Minister said, “Our government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for renovation of HR and CE temples as per our poll promise. These steps will disappoint political forces which play politics using religion. They might feel frustrated as they could not succeed in breaking the unity among people.”
Seeking a performance vote for the DMK and its allies in the elections to urban local bodies, Stalin said his government has fulfilled most of its electoral promises in a short span of time. “The Dravidian model of growth, which is distributing resources of the State among all sections of the society in consonance with social justice, is guiding our government. Caste, religious, racial and gender differences should not be a barrier in accomplishing this. The government is devising every scheme based on this Dravidian principle.”
Giving a list of electoral promises fulfilled so far, the CM said, “Our government reduced price of milk by Rs 3 per litre, allowed free bus ride for women, gave priority for Tamils in government jobs, enabled members of all castes to become temple priests, took education and healthcare to people’s doorsteps. Through these measures, we have brought paradigm shift in government’s approach.”
Charging that the Union Government has been creating roadblocks to DMK government’s efforts to ensure social justice and equality, Stalin said, “Even at this critical phase of the pandemic, the Union Government has not released Rs 16,725 crore GST dues to Tamil Nadu and Rs 8,989 crore due under State and National Disaster Response Funds.”
Terming the return of the NEET Bill by the Governor as murder of democracy, the CM said, “But we will not give up our rights like the previous regime. Let the results of these elections show them that we stand united in establishing the rights of the State. I appeal to people to vote for ‘rising sun’ and symbols of alliance parties.”
Meanwhile, a press release issued by HR and CE Minister PK Sekar Babu said that 540 acres of land, buildings on 20 grounds, 496 plots, and 46 grounds of temple tank assets have been retrieved by the department. “The retrieved land parcels also include 3.47 acres of land belonging to Oppiliyappan Temple in Kumbakonam and 6.9 acres of land given under lease.” The department also said a survey of temple lands is on across the State.
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