RAMANATHAPURAM: Accusing the BJP of playing electoral politics in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday said the Union government’s decision to order a commission into the recent Karur incident was taken with the upcoming elections in mind.
“The same BJP government that has refused to constitute a commission into the violence in Manipur and the incident in Kumbamela, despite national outrage, but it was quick to act in Karur. Why this urgency here? Because polls are around the corner,” Stalin charged, addressing the government function held in Peravoor near Ramanathapuram.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister alleged that the BJP-led Centre treats Tamils with disregard and deliberately denies funds for projects in the State. “Whenever it comes to Tamil Nadu’s interests, the Centre looks away. The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, can immediately rush to Karur, but when it comes to sanctioning funds or safeguarding our fishermen from the Sri Lankan Navy, there is only silence. It is clear that the Union government operates with double standards,” he said.
Stalin also came down heavily on the AIADMK, “The AIADMK entered into an alliance with the BJP not on the basis of ideology, but only to protect itself from corruption charges. Their only role now is to whitewash wrongdoings and gather crowds for BJP rallies. The AIADMK leader EPS has reduced himself to going street by street to collect people for BJP meetings,” he said.
Highlighting the unmet demands of the State, Stalin reminded that the Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed a resolution urging the retrieval of Katchatheevu, yet the Centre had not acted on it. “Fishermen continue to suffer harassment by the Sri Lankan Navy, while the BJP government does nothing. Tamils are deliberately ignored this is the reality,” he said.
Stalin pointed out that ten schemes announced during the 2023 Fishermen’s Conference had been fulfilled, including cooperative loans and relief during the fishing ban period. “Our government stands with fishermen. But the Centre, which should protect their rights, has failed miserably,” he said.
Earlier in the event, Stalin inaugurated and laid the foundation for projects worth 738 crore in Ramanathapuram district. These included upgrading Ramanathapuram’s bus stand into a modern integrated facility, constructing new municipal offices in Paramakudi and Kilakarai, restoring water bodies in Thiruvadanai and Uthirakosamangai blocks, and establishing a cold storage facility in Kamuthi. Welfare assistance was also distributed to over 53,000 beneficiaries. He made 9 news announcements including maintenance of tanks and laying of 6 way lane road in Ramanathapuram etc during the meeting.
