DMK”s delimitation meet to get ”political mileage,” alleges Edappadi Palaniswami

Chennai, Mar 15 (PTI) The meeting on delimitation convened by the Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK is to gain political mileage and not to solve the problem of the state’s people, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged here on Saturday.

While speaking to reporters, the leader of the opposition asked why the DMK did not hold talks with its ally, the Congress that rules Karnataka to get Tamil Nadu its rightful share of Cauvery water.

“What is the benefit Tamil Nadu is going to get from INDIA alliance,? he asked. Though DMK was part of the regimes at the Centre for over a decade, he asked if the party utilised it for the welfare of the state. Whether it brought projects, solved water disputes, he asked and blamed DMK for compromising anything for the sake of power.

“Why did not they bring education from the concurrent to the state list of the Constitution? Had this been done, there would not have been a problem (on language),” Palaniswami, a former Chief Minister said.

He wondered why the DMK which campaigned over the delimitation issue in southern states did not seek support for the 2-language policy, followed by Tamil Nadu. He said southern states including Telangana and Karnataka had accepted the National Education Policy.

“The March 22 meeting (in Chennai) on delimitation convened by the DMK is to gain political mileage and not to solve the problem of the state’s people,” he alleged.

Asked on the reason for senior leader K A Sengottaiyan avoiding meeting him, Palaniswami said “Ask him why he avoids,” and urged the scribes to not pose questions related to “personal issues.” Unlike DMK, there was no family politics, autocracy and office-bearers were independent and had faced no impediments to act freely.

Huge borrowing was the only achievement of the DMK regime and any scheme may be implemented only by getting loans.