COIMBATORE: “Tamils have self-respect and we will never allow Tamil Nadu to be ruled from Delhi,” said Chief Minister MK Stalin during a government programme in Salem on Thursday.
The chief minister released water from the Mettur Dam for irrigation in delta districts, and announced an increase in the procurement price of paddy to Rs 2,500 per quintal. “Farmers will now get Rs 2,500 per quintal. Accordingly, the procurement price of paddy will be increased to Rs 131 for the normal variety and Rs 156 for the short variety. The normal variety will be purchased at Rs 2,500 and the short variety at Rs 2,545.”
Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in Madurai, Stalin said, “Some people cannot bear the functioning of the Dravidian model of governance. A few days ago, Amit Shah came to Madurai. He criticised the DMK government saying we only make announcements and do nothing. He claimed that the DMK government is reversing the schemes provided by the BJP-led government at the centre. The truth is that the state government is providing additional funds because these schemes cannot be implemented using the funds allocated by the union government. The state government is allocating over 50% of the funds for schemes that bear Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name.”
Referring to a scene from the Rajinikanth-starrer film Padayappa, he said, “There is a dialogue — he is the groom, but the shirt he is wearing is mine. Similarly, the schemes may be launched by the union government, but we are providing the funds.”
The BJP government is the only government that has not provided any special scheme for Tamil Nadu, and the money allocated for the projects are not being released entirely, the chief minister charged.
“Has Amit Shah seen the condition of AIIMS Madurai, which the union government announced ten years ago? In four years of governance, we have completed a host of projects in Madurai region. This is the difference between the BJP model and the Dravidian model. Had adequate funds been allocated, the AIIMS project could have been completed in two years,” Stalin added.
Further, he said, “Another union minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, has spoken like he is rejecting the antiquity of Madurai. He said the Keezhadi report, written on the basis of scientific research, should be revised. We were the first to publish the results on the antiquity of iron in Tamil Nadu after testing it in laboratories all over the world.
Did they praise them then? They did not even acknowledge the results or say a word on the findings. The union government is constantly trying to downplay and destroy the antiquity of Tamils,” he said, adding, “The people of Tamil Nadu are ignoring, and will continue to ignore the BJP- AIADMK alliance as they are ignoring the state.”
In a veiled dig at Edappadi K Palaniswami, Stalin said he formed an alliance to save his position, and questioned the latter if he raised his voice when Tamil Nadu’s rights were taken away. “The people are clear. They will not accept you again. Tamils have self-respect. We will never allow Tamil Nadu to be ruled from Delhi.”
Stalin participated in the government programme in Salem, distributed welfare assistance and inaugurated 507 scheme works and 225 completed projects worth Rs 1,649.18 crore for Salem district. Later, he also visited Periyar University and paid floral tributes to Periyar.
Discharge from Mettur stepped up
Water was released from the Mettur Dam for the 92nd year. In the first phase, 3,000 cubic feet of water was released and increased to 7,000 cubic feet at 4 pm. 17.10 lakh acres of land in delta districts will use this water for cultivation of kuruvai and samba crops
