TMC to wait for official by-poll announcement

The executive committee of Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) will meet in Chennai on May 24 at a time when major political parties in the State have started to talk of alliances. It would come out with an action plan to take up people’s issues at the micro level, said its leader G. K. Vasan on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Vasan said that the TMC was involved in strengthening its cadre base right from the beginning and now it would move over to highlighting people’s issues and failures of the government. “We have worked out a timetable and will accord priority to issues at the district level,” he said. On the party’s stand in the RK Nagar by-election, Mr. Vasan said, “Let the official announcement come.”

‘PM speech regrettable’

Terming the Shanghai speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “regrettable,” Mr. Vasan said that the remark, “There was a time when people left India saying the country is no good,” was unacceptable. While touring abroad, a Prime Minister should speak high of the biggest democracy in the world, which was known for unity in diversity.

Referring to the Saduragiri tragedy in which eight people were washed away in flash floods, Mr. Vasan appealed to the State government to provide proper roads and bridges for the safe passage of pilgrims in future.

The State government should insist on getting a major share of power generated from the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and also ensure regular power supply for agriculture and small and medium enterprises during summer.

The Tamil Nadu government should not be complacent in the case of killing of 20 persons in Seshachalam hills by the Andhra Pradesh police and should take immediate steps to secure the arrest of the guilty.