DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran alleged that the Pongal gift announced by the State government was not a gift but tantamount to cash for votes.
Speaking at a ‘Makkal Grama Sabha’ meeting near Gorimedu he said that Opposition leader M.K. Stalin demanded the State government offer a cash relief of ₹7,500 to help the people tide over COVID-19 difficulties. “Chief Minister then said that there was no money in the treasury then. It’s money collected from you (people) that is being given back to you”, he said. Mr.Maran charged that Chief Minister Edappadi.K.Palaniswami had betrayed the people of Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Maran said Mr. Stalin would be a Chief Minister who would fight for rights of the State.
He interacted with traders, weavers, lorry owners and silversmiths and people from various other walks of life. Silversmiths here requested that the DMK when it comes to power should reduce GST on silver jewellery and provide 500 units of free electricity to manufacturing units here.
Mr. Maran charged that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lied about relief measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. “She said interest need not be paid but later in papers it was reported it has only been pushed for few months and interest was charged on that as well”, he said.
