When Chief Minister Jayalalithaa declared on Saturday that the AIADMK would implement prohibition in a phased manner if returned to power, the question that immediately arose was whether she had finally negated the most important campaign point of the opposition.
However, the DMDK-led third front’s first united campaign meeting at Mamandur near here on Sunday provided a glimpse into how the opposition may counter Jayalalithaa’s proposal in the coming weeks. Speaking from a platform modelled on the Fort St George, alliance leaders questioned the locus standi of the AIADMK in making such a promise.
Phased implementation of prohibition was an attempt to hoodwink the people, they said. The question boiled down to what the people’s preference was – staggered enforcement or one stroke implementation of the policy. The alliance will waste no time in banning liquor if elected, they promised.
Leading the charge was DMDK founder Vijayakant, who wondered what Ms Jayalalithaa was doing while in power. “Leaders like Vaiko, Thirumavalavan and Vasan have been seeking prohibition for long. Why did the AIADMK not listen to this,” he sought to know.
His wife Premalatha, reminding the crowd of the reply Excise and Prohibition Minister Natham R Viswanathan gave in the Assembly when the opposition demanded closure of TASMAC liquor outlets. “The Minister defended the government’s policy and said prohibition was not possible. They are now trying to hide a pumpkin in a mound of rice,” she said.
Impressive turnout
The first meeting since the induction of the TMC into the alliance saw a massive turnout at the Andal Alagar Engineering College. All speakers stressed on the clean image of the alliance and exhorted the voters to end what they called the corrupt rule of the AIADMK.
CPI (M) State secretary G Ramakrishnan claimed the AIADMK’s move was the result of a sense of desperation. It was the PWF’s campaign that forced her to make such a promise, he said.
But MDMK leader Vaiko chose to focus on the DMK wondering if its president M. Karunanidhi, who as Chief Minister in 1971 had lifted prohibition, had any right to talk about the ban. Distilleries close to DMK and AIADMK members benefit from the liquor policy irrespective of who was in power, he said.
TMC leader G.K. Vasan also openly attacked the AIADMK and the DMK, saying the State needs to be freed from Dravidian rule.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan wondered why it is not possible to implement prohibition in one go, when it is possible in Bihar.
‘DMDK not in my control’
In her speech, Premalatha Vijayakant sought to counter the claim of rebel DMDK leaders that she was ruining the party.
“When I myself am in the control of ‘Captain’ (Vijayakant), how can the party be under my control? Those who called me ‘Anni’ (sister-in-law) until a few days ago, have now betrayed the party,” she said.
