End family rule at Centre and in State: Gadkari

Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari on Saturday called for the end of what he described as one-family rule both at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu. Mr. Gadkari dubbed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule at the Centre a “proprietary concern” and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam rule in the State a “family firm”.

While insisting that the 2G spectrum issue had sounded the “death knell” of the DMK in the State, he said that besides corruption, an important issue in the coming election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly was the unprecedented price rise due to inflation born out of corruption.

Speaking at the conclusion of the yatra undertaken by party's State president Pon. Radhakrishnan demanding scholarship for the poor Hindu students on a par with those of other religious groups, he said both the Congress and the DMK had been playing “vote bank politics”, thus discriminating against the Hindus.

The country, he said, was facing a “very serious problem” due to the price rise and the economic situation was very bad.

He pointed out that water scarcity was a serious problem in Tamil Nadu.

His party would raise the issue of the democratic and fundamental rights of Sri Lankan Tamils even in Parliament.