DMK Treasurer M. K. Stalin on Friday trained his guns against BJP and AIADMK over the Sethusamudram issue, saying while the project was stayed at the “instigation” of the former, his party’s archrival had initially supported the multi-crore project before changing its stand.
Launching his 39-day campaign trail from Kanyakumari district, Mr. Stalin said Sethusamudram was a “dream project” of the late Dravidian veteran C. N. Annadurai, also the founder of DMK.
Responding to AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa’s charge asking what his party had did for Tamil Nadu despite being a part of ruling dispensation in the Centre for many years, Mr. Stalin claimed it was DMK which pushed for the project’s implementation, saying it would bring economic prosperity not only for South Tamil Nadu but for the whole of India.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Madurai in the presence of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at a function headed by DMK chief M. Karunanidhi which was also attended by other parties like PMK, MDMK and Left, he said.
“After that, when the works were proceeding, at the instigation of BJP, and due to communal forces the matter went to court and it was stayed. Ms. Jayalalithaa also opposed the project later though her party’s election manifestos had earlier argued in support of it,” he said. He took a dig at Ms. Jayalalithaa, saying she had recently “read out” her allegations against DMK during an election rally in the same district.
Mr. Stalin was campaigning for his party candidate F. M. Rajarathinam. During the campaign, he will seek votes for the candidates of both his party and its allies — VCK, IUML, MMK and PT.
