Former Minister and the AIADMK’s organisation secretary C. Ponnaiyan on Tuesday came down heavily on the BJP for seeking to grow at the expense of his party in the State.
Addressing a two-day workshop organised by the the party’s Puratchi Thalaivi Peravai for its office-bearers, Mr. Ponnaiyan said even though the BJP was “an ally” of his party, its growth would “not augur well for the AIADMK, Tamil Nadu and Dravidian policies.”
Accusing the BJP of working against Tamil Nadu’s rights, he said the national party had been doing “double-dealing” on inter-State disputes, concerning the Cauvery river and the Mullaperiyar dam. The Karnataka unit of the BJP had been against giving water to Tamil Nadu while the State unit of the national party here remained a “mute spectator.”
Mr. Ponnaiyan wanted the IT wing of the AIADMK to expose the attitude of the BJP through social media and urged members of his party to be vigilant.
The former Minister advised the BJP to change its policies in favour of Tamil Nadu. “Only then can it grow here,” he added.
R.B. Udhayakumar, secretary of the Peravai and former Revenue Minister, said nearly 20 speakers had addressed the workshop and they included Lok Sabha’s former Deputy Speaker, M. Thambidurai, former Ministers D. Jayakumar, S.P. Velumani, P. Thangamani, Gokula Indira and B. Valarmathi, and former Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy.
