DMK has given up the rights of farmers in row over Mullaperiyar reservoir with Kerala, charges BJP leader Annamalai in Theni
The Hindu
BJP leader Annamalai charges DMK of neglecting farmers' rights in Mullaperiyar dam row, not taking up Kannagi Temple issue. He blames DMK for not eradicating ganja & illicit arrack, & for giving ₹2L to victims of liquor consumption & ₹10L to those of arrack. He claims Modi govt has brought hope to minorities & economically weaker sections, & that TN will witness change soon.
With the DMK’s ally Communist Party of India (Marxist) ruling in Kerala, the rights of farmers in Mullaperiyar reservoir row has been given up, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Annamalai here on Saturday.
The BJP leader, who has been on his ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ yatra was touring Theni district on Friday.
He went on a padayatra from Bommayagoundanpatti to Bungalowmedu, where he addressed a well-attended gathering.
In his speech, he charged the DMK government led by M K Stalin, of having neglected and given up the rights of the farmers with regard to the Mullaperiyar dam. “Only when the storage level is stepped up, water for irrigation will be available perennially to the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. There is no threat to the safety of the dam and it is only due to the ineffective leadership in Tamil Nadu that the storage level has not been increased,” he said. He also blamed the DMK for not taking up the Kannagi Temple issue with the Kerala government.
The DMK leaders were growing and selling ganja, which was why, the police were not able to eradicate the menace, he charged. Likewise, illicit arrack also thrived in the State, because the partymen figured in the trade. The DMK had never been able to win elections in Theni district and he thanked the people for neglecting the party.
When innocent people were killed for questioning a gang for consuming liquor, the DMK government gave ₹2 lakh to the dependants, while for people who consumed illicit arrack and died, the legal heirs got ₹10 lakh. Is this the way a government should run, he asked and appealed to the people to think twice before they cast their votes next time.
Instead of eradicating ganja and illicit arrack, the DMK leaders were determined to eradicate ‘Sanatana Dharma’. Amidst loud cheers, he said, “change will be there for sure in the next elections.”
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.