Speaking at a public meeting organised on Monday to celebrate the Pattali Makkal Katchi entering the 30th year in its history, party founder Dr. S. Ramadoss invited actors Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth for a one-on-one debate with PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss.
“If the actors (aspiring to be Chief Ministers) and Mr. Anbumani debate [each other] on various issues, they [the actors] themselves will agree to support the PMK. The media should make this happen. It is only healthy,” Dr. Ramadoss said.
He appealed to the media to be critical of the Dravidian parties and push for a change in the State.
Having reiterated at a press meet in the morning that the party was not a part of the NDA, Mr. Anbumani said a decision regarding an alliance would be taken three months before the polls.
“If the Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections are conducted together, we will have a strategy, and if it is only the Lok Sabha elections, we will have another strategy,” he said.
Speaking at a public meeting later, Mr. Anbumani said it was unfortunate that the people of Tamil Nadu were not aware of the achievements of the PMK. “At least 20 new rail projects were brought about by the PMK. A.K. Moorthy (PMK member and former Union Minister of State) converted all metre gauges into broad gauge rails. Isn’t that a great achievement?” he asked.
“When I took over as the Health Minister, Ayya [Dr. Ramadoss] told me that the health care available to the President should be available to a commoner. Didn’t we bring in the 108 ambulance?” he added.
Reservation benefits
“The PMK was instrumental in ushering in the benefits of reservation. Dr. Ramadoss personally lobbied for 27% reservation for OBCs with Sonia Gandhi and all other leaders during the UPA regime, while the DMK was lobbying for various Ministries,” said Mr. Anbumani.
Criticising the “free schemes” introduced and popularised by the Dravidian parties, he questioned how free grinders, mixies and goats counted as welfare schemes.
Describing the proposed Salem-Chennai eight-lane expressway as a “fake scheme”, Mr. Anbumani said the State government was scuttling criticism against the project through arrests. “I am an MP, and I have been prevented from seeking the opinion of the people in my own constituency. What is the need for an eight-lane road? The remaining roads should be extended instead. It is a fake scheme,” he said, adding, “Let the ECR be extended to connect Chennai and Kanniyakumari.”
He also criticised Mr. Rajinikanth for supporting the Salem-Chennai green corridor, and said the latter “didn’t understand a lot of things”.
