Chennai: In the politics of Tamil Nadu, the round of allegations and counter-allegations between Chief Minister Joseph Vijay and the opposition is continuously increasing. In this sequence, senior AIADMK leader and former minister T. Jayakumar launched a scathing attack on the Chief Minister, alleging that he was making statements only keeping in mind political propaganda and possible midterm elections, ignoring the real issues of the state.
Speaking to the media after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) laid wreath and paid tribute at the statue of freedom fighter martyr Veeran Azhagumuthukon in Egmore, Chennai on Saturday, Jayakumar said that the Chief Minister’s recent address seemed more like a film shooting than any government event. He said that the Chief Minister’s speech in Karur was completely focused on political campaigning and lacked important issues related to the public.
Jayakumar said that Chief Minister Joseph Vijay is making such statements as if he is a part of a film scene. According to him, the priority of the Chief Minister is not the development of the state or solving the problems of the people, but to strengthen his political image. He alleged that the Chief Minister’s entire focus is on possible by-elections and future electoral politics.
The former minister said that till date no mention is being made of many promises made to the public during the election campaign. He raised the question that the government should tell what steps have been taken so far to fulfill the promises made at the time of elections. He said that the government is not living up to the expectations with which the people had elected the government.
T. Jayakumar also raised the issue of Cauvery water dispute. He said that Karnataka has not released the required water for the Kuruvai crop in the Cauvery delta region, which has created a serious crisis for the farmers. According to him, the Chief Minister should have effectively talked to the Central and Karnataka governments on this important issue, but he did not even give any concrete statement on this sensitive issue.
He alleged that the farmers of the state are suffering from water shortage, while the government seems to be more busy in publicity campaigns than solving these problems. Jayakumar said that Cauvery delta has an important contribution in the agricultural economy of Tamil Nadu and if water is not available on time, farmers may have to suffer huge losses.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s film career, the AIADMK leader said Vijay did not do any notable social work for the common people even while he was active in the film industry. He claimed that even after coming into politics and becoming the Chief Minister, there has been no major change in his working style and even now the government is more focused on publicity.
Jayakumar alleged that the government was spending more money on advertisements and publicity campaigns than on development work. He said that if the same resources were spent on public welfare schemes, assistance to farmers, employment generation and development of basic facilities, the public would have got more benefits.
He said that the primary responsibility of the government in a democratic system is to solve the problems of the people. The government cannot escape its responsibilities only through public programs and political speeches. He demanded from the Chief Minister to give clear answers on the progress of the state’s development, employment, agriculture, water crisis and election promises.
On this occasion, Jayakumar paid tribute to freedom fighter martyr Veeran Azhagumuthukon and said that Tamil Nadu will always remember his struggle and sacrifice against British rule. He said that during the tenure of the AIADMK government, Veeran Azhagumuthukon’s contribution was honored by installing his statue. According to him, the party has always been committed to honoring the freedom fighters and carrying forward their ideals.
Many senior AIADMK leaders were also present during the program. These included former ministers C. Ponnayan, Gokula Indira, T.K.M. Chinnaiah and other officials and workers were included. All the leaders paid tribute to Veeran Azhagumuthukon by paying floral tributes at his statue.
Political activities are continuously intensifying in Tamil Nadu and the level of rhetoric between the ruling party and the opposition is also increasing. In such a situation, the political debate is expected to become more heated in the coming days regarding election promises, farmers’ issues, Cauvery water dispute and the working style of the government.
