Former Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai’s slogan “’North is flourishing, South is waning’’ still holds good as the BJP-led Centre continued to neglect Tamil Nadu for developmental works, said Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan, on Thursday.
Canvassing votes for CPI (M) candidate for Madurai Lok Sabha Constituency Su. Venkatesan (DMK alliance) at Anaiyur, he said that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai was a non-starter. In other places where the AIIMS project had been announced it was completed, he said.
Similarly, Madurai airport was neglected and had not been given international status, he said.
It was former DMK leader and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi who had upgraded Madurai to a Corporation and it was he who established the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai. He transformed Madurai into a modern city, he said.
Now, DMK president and Chief Minister M. K. Stalin constructed Kalaignar Centenary Library, Jallikattu arena and Keeladi museum. The DMK led State government had introduced several welfare schemes for the benefit of students and women and created job opportunities.
Tamil Nadu’s literacy rate was higher than the national average, he said, adding that education was the tool for development of the State.