MDMK headquarters secretary Durai Vaiko on Friday said opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu to launch development projects would not augur well for the State.
Addressing reporters after veteran CPI leader R. Nallakannu inaugurated his office at the party headquarters at Egmore, Mr. Durai noted that Mr. Modi had, on Thursday, inaugurated or laid the foundation for projects worth over ₹31,000 crore, including the long-delayed Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway.
When he was reminded about the protests organised by political parties, including the MDMK, against the Prime Minister when he visited the State during the erstwhile AIADMK rule, he explained that at that time, the people were seething with anger over the Centre’s stand on various issues. “Nineteen people died because of the NEET mandate for admission to medical colleges,” he said.
Mr. Durai said his party welcomed and viewed Mr. Modi as the Prime Minister of the country when he implemented welfare schemes, but saw him as the leader of the BJP “when he imposed Hindi and suppressed Tamil”.
Dismissing the allegation that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin “played politics” at a function attended by the Prime Minister, he said Mr. Stalin had only made use of the occasion to bring the problems faced by Sri Lankan Tamils to the Prime Minister’s notice.
“Since the Sri Lankan government is looking to India to help it overcome the crisis facing the country, Mr. Stalin wanted the Prime Minister to look into issues such as retrieving Katchatheevu and securing Tamil fishermen’s right to fish in areas traditionally used by them,” he said.
As regards Mr. Modi’s allegations [made in Telangana] regarding “family politics”, he said it should be criticised only if it was imposed on the party. “There is nothing wrong if a person enters politics because of his qualification and as per the wishes of party leaders and cadre,” he said.
Asked about the Congress Party’s stand on the release of A.G. Perarivalan, one of the life convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case, he said every political party was entitled to a stand.
“It is our stand that Perarivalan spent 31 years in jail, and it was worse than a death sentence. We welcome the judgment of the Supreme Court because it has released him and has clearly come out with the functions of a Governor of a State. He [Governor] has to give assent to the decision of a democratically elected government,” Mr. Durai said.
