Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) did not show any genuine interest in addressing issues such as price rise, rising prices of yarn and fertilizers that had affected a large number of people, said G. Ramakrishnan, State secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Addressing a public meeting in the city on Sunday, Mr. Ramakrishnan criticised the DMK, a major partner of the United Progressive Alliance, for its “failure” to put pressure on the Congress-led government to control prices of essential commodities.
He also alleged that the promise of 10 grocery items to all family card holders at a price of only Rs.50 under a scheme for distributing grocery items at subsidised prices was not available for all card holders. In a shop where there were 2,000 card holders, only a 100 or 200 were given these items, he said.
The CPI(M) leader appreciated his party MLAs for criticising the move to allot housing plots for MLAs during the Assembly session. When more than 25 lakh people in the State had no place to live, was it necessary for the State to give land to MLAs, he wondered.
The success of the general strike on April 27 against price rise was indicative of the people's aversion towards the ruling party and this was the reason behind the DMK leader's criticism of the CPI (M) in the Siruthavur land issue.
He also criticised the DMK for playing the Dalit card in trying to protect Union Minister A. Raja in the alleged 3G Spectrum scandal.
Mr. Ramakrishnan cited a few cases where usury was playing havoc in the lives of the urban poor and demanded that the State should properly implement the Tamil Nadu Money Lenders Act, 1957 or Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, 2003 to crack down on money lenders.
R. Annadurai, Madurai urban district secretary, R. Jothiram, Madurai rural secretary, and M. Ganesan, Corporation Council Leader, also addressed the meeting.
