DMK women’s wing leader and Thoothukudi MP M.K. Kanimozhi on Sunday accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of having denied reservation for “majority Hindus” to study medicine [by not implementing OBC reservation in all-India quota medical seats].
Launching the second leg of ‘ Vidiyalai Nokki Stalinin Kural’ (Stalin’s voice for a new dawn), the DMK’s campaign for the 2021 Assembly election at Edappadi in Salem district, she countered the BJP’s allegation that the DMK was “anti-Hindu”.
“They (BJP) should first say what they have done for Hindus. They have denied reservation for majority Hindus. They are spoiling the chances of the Hindu majority to study medicine,” Ms. Kanimozhi said. “They have brought in farm laws and labour codes that are against the interests of the majority — the Hindus,” she said in response to a query.
The DMK leader, who began her campaign in the morning at Koganapuram, which falls under Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s Assembly constituency, alleged that the AIADMK co-coordinator was betraying his own party and rolling out the red carpet for the BJP.
Addressing DMK cadre near the Edappadi bus stand, she asked whether former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had ever gone to the airport to receive a Union Minister from the BJP, and whether AIADMK cadre had ever crowded with party flags to receive a BJP Minister. She was referring to the Chief Minister and AIADMK cadre receiving Home Minister Amit Shah at the Chennai airport recently. According to her, people from all walks of life were dissatisfied with the current government, and the CM had not fulfilled poll promises in Edappadi.
On cyclone relief measures, she said, “They (the government) have not learnt any lessons from previous floods. Neither the water channels nor the waterbodies were desilted. Encroachments were not removed either.” She reiterated that a drop in the cyclone’s intensity, not the government’s measures, had saved Chennai.
On the investment front, she pointed out that DMK president M.K. Stalin’s demand that the government present a White Paper on the two editions of the Global Investors’ Meet had not been met.
‘SHGs neglected’
“SHGs have been completely neglected. They have not received any funds and have suffered severely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, interest is being collected on their loans. I wrote to the Union Finance Minister, seeking a waiver of their loans. Though I received an acknowledgement of receipt of the letter, no action has been taken,” she said.
She alleged that there was no safety for women under a regime being run in the name of a woman (Jayalalithaa). The victims of the Pollachi sexual harassment case were yet to get justice, she said.
Some women from SHGs complained to her that they hadn’t received any skill development training.
Ms. Kanimozhi also met people from various walks of life, including weavers, farmers and palm tree workers, and heard their grievances. She assured them that their grievances would be addressed when the DMK comes to power.
