Emphasising the need to expose the BJP’s “corrupt face”, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday said the DMK should vow to win all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Delivering his address at the DMK’s Mupperum Vizha to mark the birth anniversary of former Chief MinisterC.N. Annadurai, foundation day of the DMK and the birth anniversary of ‘Periyar’ E.V. Ramasamy — falling on September 15, 16 and 17 respectively — at a function in Pallikonda near Vellore town, Mr. Stalin said every cadre of the DMK should vow to ensure the party’s victory in all the seats in the forthcoming election to take the social justice movement and Dravidian model to rest of the country.
“The INDIA should win in the upcoming election to realise the ideals of social justice and Dravidian movement. If that happens, we can build AIIMS at Madurai in 15 months, get an exemption [for Tamil Nadu] from NEET and achieve much more,” he said at the event, which also coincides with the birth centenary of DMK’s former president M. Karunanidhi.
Slamming the BJP government at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for not fulfilling its promises made before the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Mr. Stalin said the national party was “hiding from corruption charges”.
The CAG in its recent report had found irregularities by the BJP-led Union government to a tune of ₹7.5 lakh crore. Currently, the overall debt of the Union government stood at ₹155 lakh crore, he said.
Price rise
On the steep rise in prices of essential commodities, Mr. Stalin recalled that when the BJP came to power in 2014, the price of an LPG cylinder was ₹420, that of petrol per litre was ₹71 and diesel per litre, ₹55. Now, the prices of these items have increased to ₹1,200, ₹102 and ₹94 respectively.
He pointed out that the Central taxes for petrol were raised three times and for diesel seven times during the same period. “As the general elections will be held soon, the Modi government has reduced the price of an LPG cylinder by ₹200. The corrupt BJP should be stopped from coming to power again,” he added.
He further criticised the Union government for the disparity in sharing GST taxes evenly and in a fair manner with all States. The disparity in getting Tamil Nadu’s share of revenue in the GST taxes has affected the State’s growth and various welfare measures in sectors such as education, health, social welfare and tribal development.
Mr. Stalin said the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) had destroyed the dreams of medical aspirants, not just in south India, but across the country. A total of 22 aspirants lost their lives last year, according to him. “From Anita to Jagadesan, the dreams of many aspirants remain unfulfilled. Did the BJP-led government analyse the reasons for the death of these incidents? In 2015, the Union government announced the setting up of AIIMS in Madurai but only now has a tender been invited for the project,” he said.
Ministers Duraimurugan, Udhayanidhi Stalin, I. Periyasamy,P. Geetha Jeevan, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and R. Gandhi, and MPs S. Jagathrakshakan and A. Raja were present. Mr. Raja also spoke at the event.
App launched
The Makkalodu Stalin app on State government’s initiatives was also launched on the occasion.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416. and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).
