Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder and president Thol. Thirumavalavan announced that the party would organise State-wide demonstrations against the Union government for its alleged failure to support the flood-affected people of Tamil Nadu with additional release of funds and for “undermining democracy” by passing a recent legislation to regulate the appointment of Election Commissioners.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mr. Thirumavalavan highlighted the damage caused by unprecedented rain earlier this month in Chennai and later in the Southern districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, and Kanniyakumari.
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi initially offered full support to the State, he alleged that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other BJP leaders were focussing on defaming the Tamil Nadu government, which he said was doing good work in flood relief.
Mr. Thirumavalavan condemned the Union government for not fulfilling Tamil Nadu’s demand of declaring the floods as a ‘calamity of severe nature’, and consequently release additional funds to the State. He blamed the BJP government at the Centre for being partial to States under its rule in releasing funds from the National Disaster Relief Fund.
Moreover, he alleged that the recent Bill passed by the Lok Sabha, which enabled the Union government to have a complete say on the appointment of Election Commissioners, would be detrimental to the conduct of free and fair elections.
Mr. Thirumavalavan said the party would also demand making Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) mandatory in elections. He added that the counting should be based on VVPAT slips, which should be verified by every voter and deposited in a box kept at polling stations.
