Children coerced to attend MGR centenary events: Stalin

Accusing the AIADMK government of violating the Madras High Court order, which restrained the State from coercing school students to attend the late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran’s birth centenary public meetings, DMK leader M. K. Stalin on Friday said even now children were being brought to the venues of meetings addressed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam.

He told reporters that he was not against the government singing the praise of MGR, but it should not be converted into a political event and students forced to attend it. “The court has already pronounced an order. But the government has violated it. In Theni district they declared holiday citing rains though the district did not witness rain,” he told reporters.

Mr. Stalin said the MGR birth centenary celebrations would be held in Tirunelveli district on November 13 and the government had decided to use buses of the State-owned transport corporation and buses of private schools to ferry people to the venue of the meeting.

“A circular has been sent to private schools in Nanguneri and Radhapuram that they should keep their buses ready on November 12 itself,” the senior leader said.

Mr. Stalin said when the state had witnessed severe crop damage due to rain and people had been subjected to a lot of sufferings, the government was spending tax payers’ money for organising functions.

In a separate statement he criticised the Sri Lankan government for removing the name of Savumiamoorthy Thondaman from the government institutions in the Island nation. “Thondaman had dedicated his life for the welfare of plantation Tamils and removing his name from government institution is highly condemnable,” he said.