BJP, AIADMK are not on same page on Enayam Port challenge, says DMK chief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had been not on the same page on establishing a port at Enayam in Kanniyakumari district, mentioned DMK president M.K. Stalin right here on Saturday.

They had been indulging in acts of deception, he charged and promised {that a} authorities beneath his management would by no means allow the challenge.

The DMK president mentioned that whereas the Prime Minister had referred to the challenge as financial panacea for fishermen at Kanniyakumari on Friday, the AIADMK authorities was towards it, regardless of the Centre pushing for its implementation by an official communication. The DMK had taken cognisance of the opposition of Christian group leaders to the challenge, Mr. Stalin mentioned.

Attacks on fishermen

The assaults on Indian fishermen (by the Sri Lankan Navy) had elevated during the last seven years, he mentioned.

The Prime Minister was not bothered concerning the deaths of fishermen and confiscation of boats, the DMK chief added.

Textiles Minister O.S. Manian had made issues worse for the fishermen by encouraging them to transcend the International Maritime Border Line, Mr. Stalin alleged.

The AIADMK authorities had not cared to implement the challenge envisioned by late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to develop the Nagapattinam port into an all-weather, deep-water, direct berthing green-field facility, Mr. Stalin mentioned.

Mr. Stalin promised fishermen that their group could be handled as coastal Scheduled Tribes. The social gathering would prevail upon the Centre to ascertain a fishermen welfare fee on the nationwide stage. The month-to-month help for fisher households throughout the fishing ban interval could be elevated to ₹8,000. They would even be given ₹6,000 per 30 days throughout wet season. The AIADMK authorities had siphoned off huge cash from the large allocations made for implementing ‘kudimaramathu’ scheme and for distributing flood reduction to the farmers, he charged.

Taking a dig at AIADMK candidate and Textiles Minister O.S. Manian, the DMK chief mentioned all instances booked towards 150 protesters on the Minister’s behest throughout the Gaja cyclone could be withdrawn in May.

A case would even be registered towards Mr. Manian for having resorted to repression by misusing his official place, Mr. Stalin mentioned, searching for votes for DMK candidate for Vedaranyam S.K. Vedharathinam, and people of alliance companions Nagai Mali of CPI (M), K.Marimuthu of CPI and Aloor Shanavas of VCK who are contesting in Kilvelur, Thiruthuraipoondi and Nagapattinam respectively.

Somersaults gained’t do

In Chennai, Mr. Stalin mentioned regardless of what number of somersaults Mr. Modi and Mr. Amit Shah did throughout their campaigns, the BJP would not achieve success in Tamil Nadu.

The DMK chief accused the AIADMK-BJP mix of attempting to stoke communal tensions within the State. “This is Dravidian soil. No matter how many somersaults Modi and Amit Shah do, you can’t enter Tamil Nadu. The BJP is not going to win for sure. You should ensure that even one AIADMK MLA does not win,” he mentioned.

Campaigning in Shozhinganallur, Maduravoyal, Velachery, Virugambakkam, T. Nagar and Thousand Lights, Mr. Stalin hit out on the BJP for a sequence of raids on the social gathering’s cadre. “You are raiding just at the time of election. When the election is on April 6, you are raiding on April 2 or April 3. It is an Income Tax raid. What is the hurry. Do you think that we will be afraid and hide in one corner? We have faced MISA itself. You cannot frighten us and try to win the election,” he mentioned.

Mr. Stalin mentioned the DMK alliance needed to be elected to energy if Tamil Nadu’s self respect, dignity, had been to be restored and the State’s rights retrieved.