The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “Sethu project launched by Vajpayee”

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Saturday, Apr 18, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

“Sethu project launched by Vajpayee”

Special Correspondent

BJP, if voted to power, will get back Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka: Thirunavukarasar

— Photo: L. Balachandar

Give us a chance: BJP candidate S. Thirunavukarasar campaigning at Ramanathapuram on Thursday.

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Bharatiya Janata Party would implement the Sethu Samudram project without hurting the religious sentiments of the people if it was voted back to power, said its national secretary and candidate for the Ramanathapuram constituency, S. Thirunavukarasar.

Kick starting the election campaign here on Thursday he said Sethu project was a need of the hour and it was launched by former Prime Minister Vajpayee.

The BJP opposed the move of the United Progressive Alliance government to implement the project, as it tried to hurt the religious belief of the people by cutting the Ramar Bridge.

“Our party is of the stand that it should be implemented through an alternative alignment between Dhanushkodi and Kothandaramar temple in Rameswaram island. If the BJP is voted back to power, we will certainly implement it,” Mr. Thirunavukarasar said.

Touching upon the fishermen issue, he said that in spite of repeated protests, the State and Central governments had failed to protect the Tamil Nadu fishermen, who were being continuously targeted by the Sri Lankan Navy. The incidents of firing against the Tamil Nadu fishermen were very low during Vajpayee period when compared to the present statistics.

He added that though the DMK and the AIADMK had been demanding the retrieval of Katchatheevu, which was ceded to Sri Lanka, for several years they couldn’t succeed it. The BJP would successfully get back the island through a bilateral agreement.

No personal attacks

Stating that the BJP would not indulge in personal attacks on leaders of opposition parties, he accused that the UPA had failed in all fronts. The unprecedented level of price rise, failure to prevent terror attacks and Naxalite violence and others had been haunting the people.

Claiming that the National Democratic Alliance was stronger than the UPA, he said that the BJP would emerge as the single largest party by winning amajority of the Lok Sabha seats and form the next government.

Mr. Thirunavukarasar said that it had decided to enter into an alliance with parties led by Sarath Kumar and Karthick in Tamil Nadu and the seat sharing arrangements would be announced on Saturday.

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