: DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin on Monday questioned the absence of reference to measures to tide over the crisis caused by demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes in AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s first signed statement issued from the Apollo Hospitals on Sunday. Ms. Jayalalithaa had, in the statement, appealed to voters of Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thiruparankundram, where polling is slated for November 19, to vote for the ruling party.
“It appears that she is only particular about getting votes and the difficulties of the people were none of her concern. It is to be seen whether those who have been pulling strings from behind the scenes over the last 50 days (since her hospitalisation) have issued the statement as a last weapon to win the election,” Mr. Stalin said in a statement.
“Chief Ministers of other States have either welcomed the Centre’s move on demonetisation or criticised it. Some have given suggestions to the Prime Minister to bring the situation under control. But, neither Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, or the second-in-command in the State Cabinet, the Finance Minister O. Paneerselvam, had issued a statement on the issue so far,” he pointed out. Mr. Stalin claimed that while he wished that Ms. Jayalalithaa recovered quickly, as Leader of the Opposition, he would like her to explain the truth behind the statement that was issued on Sunday.
Earlier, campaigning for the party candidate, P. Saravanan, for the by-election to Thiruparankundram constituency, Mr. Stalin said that the Centre too had not bothered about the pains of the common man who has been forced to stand in long queues to take his own money deposited in banks.
Jallikattu banOn the jallikattu issue, Mr. Stalin recalled that the Union Minister of State, Pon Radhakrishnan had made a statement that all efforts were being taken to lift the ban on the bull-taming sport. He had promised that jallikattu would be conducted during Pongal. “But, it does not look so as the issue of jallikattu does not find a place in the agenda to be discussed during the next Monsoon Session,” he said.
Mr. Stalin warned that his party would launch a huge protest if jallikattu was not conducted next year.
Mr. Stalin also said that he got information that the Union Government had rejected the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s resolution seeking to rename Madras High Court as High Court of Tamil Nadu.
“The resolution moved by the Chief Minister in the Assembly during the last session was unanimously passed with the support of all political parties in the House,” he said. The resolution was sent to the Union Government for its consideration. But, it had been rejected, he said.
