TIRUCHY: Woraiyur residents have expressed their anger as Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru has not showed up after dozens of people have fallen ill due to alleged water contamination in Minnapan and Panickan streets.
The minister who was elected from Tiruchy West Assembly constituency, in which Woreaiyur falls, in 2006, 2016 and 2021 is yet to visit the place or those undergoing treatment at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital.
Known for actively participating in public events, particularly in visiting the house of the deceased in his constituency, Nehru’s silence this time has raised eyebrows even among loyal DMK supporters.
On the day of the incident on April 19, Nehru was seen inaugurating a summer refreshments counter put up by DMK cadre and offering prayers at Rettaimalai.
A DMK loyalist from Woraiyur said, “We have always stood by him, but this is not the Nehru we know. Even a basic humanitarian visit would have meant a lot to the people suffering here,” he said.
Meanwhile, the cadre and supporters of opposition parties compared Nehru’s inaction to Chief Minister MK Stalin’s controversial decision not to visit Kallakurichi after multiple deaths due to illicit liquor. They believe Nehru is deliberately avoiding the issue and does not not want to acknowledge the issue.
Adding to the controversy, the minister had claimed in the Assembly that the illnesses were caused by food consumed during a temple festival at Vekkaliamman on April 14. But residents are questioning the logic, asking how food
consumed on April 14 could be blamed when the outbreak began only on April 19. “If he really believed that was the cause, why hasn’t he visited the people?” asked a resident from Minnapan Street.
Moreover, locals are incensed that no action has been taken against the corporation engineer, who is being blamed for failing to act on repeated complaints about water quality.
“Nehru is a seasoned leader. He may be waiting for a clearer picture to emerge before stepping in. It’s also possible he doesn’t want to politicise a sensitive issue,” said a DMK functionary defending Nehru.