COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin has offered Rs 5,000 to women to cover up the failures of his government. However, Tamil Nadu women will not support DMK," said Union Minister L Murugan at a meeting in Coimbatore city on Saturday held to mark the 28th anniversary of the serial bomb blasts that rocked the city in 1998.
Criticising the cash aid as a drama for political gain at the end of his tenure, he refuted the CM's allegation that the central government prevents DMK from offering financial aid to women.
Murugan, who paid tributes to the victims of the 1998 blasts at RS Puram, claimed the AIADMK-led NDA will come to power in the state within 60 days. It will install a 'deepathoon' (stone lamp) for the dead at the next anniversary. (Fifty-eight people had lost lives and over 200 injured in the serial blasts in Coimbatore city on February 14, 1998.)
He noted the coincidence of the Coimbatore blasts with the 2019 Pulwama terror attack anniversary, claiming that Coimbatore city, once Tamil Nadu's second-most developed after Chennai, had stagnated due to the DMK's alleged soft approach to terrorism.
"Terrorists had built networks in the state with alleged government support, including ties to banned Muslim organisations," he said.
He then highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's progress in counter-terrorism, citing 'Operation Sindoor' and reduced terror activity in the country.
Murugan dismissed TVK leader Vijay's assertion that the main contest in Tamil Nadu is between the DMK and the TVK and also downplayed the claims that TVK holds a 30% vote share.
"Vijay should first prove at least 1% vote share before challenging others. Everyone has fixed the vote bank percentage for their own interest like an auction," he said.
He further stressed that new political parties follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) strictly to avoid untoward incidents (like the death at TVK meeting the other day in Salem). "SOP is common for all, and claiming they are being cornered by it is not acceptable. Around 5 lakh people gathered at the Prime Minister's meeting. But we arranged it smoothly. New political parties should learn such things while organising the meetings," Murugan said.
Murugan refused to comment on state BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran's controversial statement against Vijay linking him to a film industry colleague.
BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, who also spoke at the event, said the 1998 blasts severely hampered Coimbatore's growth and disrupted peace for nearly a decade. She accused, "DMK is not a neutral government; it prioritises minority vote banks."