VIRUDHUNAGAR: The chargesheet in the 2023 illicit liquor tragedy in Chengalpattu and Villupuram was filed only after the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, Governor RN Ravi said, adding that this shows the government’s indifference towards the lives of the poor.
Speaking at an event to mark late chief minister K Kamaraj’s 122ndbirth anniversary celebrations, the governor said that last year’s liquor tragedy had claimed 24 lives and a chargesheet was filed in a hurry after he questioned the status of the case.
“The Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which claimed 66 lives, would not have happened if Kamaraj was alive. While social justice is widely preached now, Kamaraj ensured that social justice prevailed during his tenure," he said.
Citing that Kamaraj’s tenure as chief minister was the golden period of Tamil Nadu, the governor said that in nine years, Kamaraj laid the foundation for a prosperous Tamil Nadu which his successors cannot carry forward.
"Today, if Tamil Nadu is among the top-ranking states in the country in terms of Gross Enrollment Ratio and literacy, the credit primarily goes to Kamaraj," he added.
Ravi further claimed that Kamaraj did not spend the government's money on the mid-day meal scheme, and instead, approached people with money, who in turn trusted him and gave funds to proceed with the noble cause.
"With the support of the people, Kamaraj provided mid-day meals. However, today’s administration has lost the people's trust," he said, adding that Kamaraj was a great proponent of social justice and brought marginalized people forward.
"If the momentum had continued, poverty would have been eliminated in the state. On a macro level, we are a progressive state but there are a large number of poor people," he said. The governor also added that there are not many memorials of Kamaraj in the state.