TIRUNELVELI/TENLASI: The union government allotted Rs 11 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu for various developmental works over the past 10 years, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said on Tuesday.
Accompanied by BJP’s Tirunelveli MLA Nainar Nagendran, Murugan paid homage to freedom fighter Ondiveeran at his memorial in Palayamkottai on his 253rd death anniversary.
“The Tamil Nadu government did not submit the utilisation certificate and audit reports on the completed works of the metro rail project to the union government. Union Minister for Urban Development Manohar Lal Khattar has clearly explained this. If the state government submits those reports, the union government will release funds for the next phase of the project,” he said.
When asked if the DMK and the BJP are maintaining close political ties after the release of late DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s commemorative coin, Murugan said the event organised to release the coin was beyond politics. “The event was organised by the state government and Union Minister Rajnath Singh participated. People cannot speculate the course of politics with this one event,” Murugan added.
He said the DMK held global Muthamizh Murugan conference fearing that the Hindu votes might go to BJP. “We conducted Vel Yatra demanding action against those who defamed the Kanda Sashti Kavasam, which was welcomed by Lord Murugan’s devotees. The DMK government is now following our footsteps in celebrating Lord Murugan,” he added.