Listing the steps being taken by her government to improve the living conditions of the minorities, Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has categorically rejected DMK president M. Karunanidhi’s allegation that she had sent ‘kar sevaks’ to Ayodhya where Babri Masjid was razed down in December 1992.
“I want to reiterate the fact that I never sent anyone as kar sevak and reject Mr. Karunanidhi’s false propaganda that continues in an unabated fashion,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said on Saturday, canvassing for J. Jayasingh Thiyagaraj Nattarji, party’s candidate for the Tuticorin Lok Sabha constituency.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said the DMK, which was making baseless allegations, had given an advertisement in the party mouthpiece that she had sent ‘kar sevaks’ to Ayodhya.
“I never did so. Can Mr. Karunanidhi prove his allegation and tell who were all sent by me as ‘kar sevaks’?”
She said it was her government that laid firm foundation for giving reservation to the minorities in education and employment by sending a proposal in 2006 to the State Backward Class Commission in a bid to fulfil the stipulations mandated by the Supreme Court and the Mandal Commission earlier. In 2007, the DMK, without making any change in the proposal drafted by the AIADMK, accepted it.
Terming the DMK’s manifesto a ‘bag of lies’ and a ‘confession on its failures,’ Ms. Jayalalithaa said Mr. Karunanidhi’s party, which was keen on getting lucrative portfolios as an ally of the Union government for the past 17 years, had never taken any step for increasing the ‘income tax ceiling exemption’ to Rs. 5 lakh.
“Besides promising to increase this ceiling to Rs. 5 lakh, the party manifestoclaims that it would strive for giving income tax exemption on retirement benefits while these benefits are already being extended as per existing laws. Did Mr. Karunanidhi go through the manifesto prepared by his team before releasing it,” she asked.
Coming down heavily on the DMK for supporting the Congress move to allow Foreign Direct Investment in the retail trade by voting in favour of this proposal in the Parliament, Ms. Jayalalithaa pointed out that the DMK’s manifesto was now speaking against FDI in retail sector. “If we come to power at the Centre, we’ll weed-out this move,” she announced.
Instead of extorting the Congress for getting lucrative portfolios in the Union Cabinet, the DMK could have obtained promises from the national party for ensuring the welfare of Tamil fishermen and safeguarded them from continuing Sri Lankan navy attacks.
“However, the DMK that intimidated the Congress by boycotting the swearing in ceremony managed to get remunerative portfolios which paved way for a range of scams including the infamous 2G scam that tarnished the nation’s image among the international community,” the Chief Minister said.
She said the Tamils should support the AIADMK candidates in the election to strengthen the party to play the key role in the formation of the Central government “which would elevate India to super power status with its holistic development”.
