The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam leader Vijayakant on Tuesday flayed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for failing to link State rivers.
“Both the parties have been talking about it for 15 to 20 years; but have not executed the project,” he said campaigning for A.M.G.Vijaykumar, the party candidate for the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency here.
People were facing drinking water shortage even on the banks of the Cauvery River. The water table has gone down badly; sand is being mined indiscriminately and sold at a very high price in the name of second sales just about 100 metres away from the river, he alleged addressing voters at Sannidhi Street at Thiruvanaikovil in Srirangam Assembly constituency represented by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, in its manifesto, has promised to provide potable water to all households and water for irrigation for every field, he said and urged the voters to give the National Democratic Alliance a chance.
Both the AIADMK and the DMK were “poisonous weeds,” which need to be crushed. They have not done anything for the welfare of people, who are reeling under the price rise. “Under the Vajpayee government, the price of petrol was Rs.40 a litre and diesel Rs.30 a litre; but the fuel prices have doubled now leading to spiralling prices,” he said.
Accusing a section of the media, especially those supporting the ruling party, of trying to project him in negative light, Mr.Vijayakant said he was not bothered about the same.
“The DMK did the same in the last elections, but they could not even emerge as the main Opposition. The AIADMK too will also face the same fate,” he said and affirmed there was no bickering within the NDA in the State.
Touching upon local issues, Mr.Vijayakant criticised Ms.Jayalalithaa for failing to fulfil her poll promise to find a solution to the property ownership dispute between a section of residents in Srirangam and the Sri Ranganathasamy Temple even three years after assuming office.
