The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will not allow iron ore mining project to be executed in Kavuthi-Vediyappan hills near here, said DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin.
Addressing a public meeting held here on Thursday, Mr. Stalin said that people of 51 villages located around the twin hills had been protesting the project since it would destroy nature, water sources, agriculture, environment and livelihood of the region.
“Of course, the issue of this iron ore mining project came up during the previous DMK regime and we asked “the then Collector of the district not to recommend the project. Despite the protest, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa chose not to speak a word about the project when she was addressing a public meeting near Tiruvannamalai recently but chose to speak about it while addressing a meeting in Salem,” he said and showed a picture towards public and added, “See the Jindals, stakeholders of the proposed mining project, seen with Jayalalithaa”.
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Mr. Stalin also said, “The previous DMK government held tripartite meetings to decide on sugarcane prices but the present government has given up the practice and unilaterally announced cane prices as Rs.2,650 that is far below the expectations of farmers. But that too is not being implemented and farmers get only Rs. 2,250 per tonne.”
Mr. Stalin added that Ms. Jayalalithaa failed to do away with power crisis even three years after she came to power though she made an electoral promise of doing away with power cut within three months of her assuming office.
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“Ms. Jayalalithaa is making false charges against the DMK of not initiating any power project during our regime. A reply given by TANGEDCO official to a RTI petition lists out several projects including Vallur, Mettur, North Chennai etc. that were started during DMK regime,” he said.
While making it clear that the DMK did not oppose construction of Ram temple per se but it was opposed to constructing the Ram temple at the site where Babri Masjid stood.
The DMK was not opposed to Hindus but only to Hindutva. None could match the DMK regime in renovating most numbers of Hindu temples and performing consecrations and making golden chariots for temples, he added.
He asked the people of Tiruvannamalai constituency to vote for DMK candidate C.N. Annadurai.