NEW DELHI, APR 24,
DMK working president M.K. Stalin, who led a massive human chain protest organised by the Opposition parties in Pudukottai town demanding the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board on Monday, claimed that the BJP-led Centre and the AIADMK government in the State were working as a “double-barrelled gun” to suit their interests.
“The BJP government at the Centre is complicit in the corrupt deeds of the AIADMK government,” Mr. Stalin charged. Although income-tax searches were conducted at the houses of an AIADMK Minister and a top bureaucrat, there was no progress thereafter, he said, justifying his claim.
Commenting on an article published in the ruling party’s mouthpiece Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, Mr. Stalin alleged that the Centre and the AIADMK were “jointly involved in the loot” and in conspiring against the interests of Tamil Nadu.
Human chain protests led by various leaders, including MDMK general secretary Vaiko in Thanjavur and Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani in Chennai, were held in different parts of the State.
In a brief interaction with mediapersons before the protest in Pudukottai, Mr. Stalin accused the AIADMK government of being subservient to the Centre, which remained adamant on the issue of constituting the Cauvery Management Board despite a direction from the Supreme Court.
To another query, Mr. Stalin said the AIADMK leaders, who would not miss an opportunity to meet the Prime Minister to safeguard their positions, had not bothered to take a delegation comprising political leaders and representatives of farmers associations to Delhi as decided at the all-party meet convened by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami some time ago to discuss the Cauvery issue.
He said the ruling AIADMK government was not keen on conducting local body elections out fear of a massive defeat.
Funds granted by the Centre for the purpose had been returned unutilised, he claimed.
Later in the evening, a large number of cadre of the DMK, the Congress, the two Communist parties, the MDMK, the VCK and other parties formed a massive human chain in Pudukottai town.
