Union Minister of State L Murugan on Tuesday contended that there would not be any remarkable change or development in Tamil Nadu, if State Sports Minister Udhayanidhi was elevated as Deputy Chief Minister.
Asked by a journalist about the speculation over Mr Udhayanidhi’s elevation in the Cabinet, he said, “The irreparable harm being caused to Tamil Nadu by the DMK and its ministers now will only worsen further if Mr. Udhayanidhi is made Deputy Chief Minister.”
He denied the speculations that the DMK was inching closer to the BJP after the Karunanidhi commemorative coin release function held in Chennai recently with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh releasing the coin.
“It is not a political event… It is a function oranised by the State Government for releasing the coin in which the Defence Minister participated. The one-off event cannot be viewed as a political development bringing the BJP and the DMK closer,” he said.
On the Tamil Nadu Government’s charge that the Union Government was not releasing funds for the Chennai metro rail project’s second phase, Mr. Murugan said the funds would be released only after the State Government submits all mandatory documents.
“Since the Tamil Nadu Government is yet to submit the requisite documents, the funds cannot be released,” said the minister while claiming that the BJP government at the Centre had given Rs. 11 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu in the past ten years.
On the sexual assault cases in Krishnagiri and West Bengal, Mr. Murugan said the State Governments should take punitive and impartial action to crush such incidents in future. The State Governments should strive hard to ensure the conviction of the sexual predators, which should send very strong signal to the criminals.
“The governments should ensure the safety of the doctors and the hospitals,” Mr. Murugan said.
Later he told journalists at Palayamkottai after garlanding the statue of freedom fighter Ondiveeran on his death anniversary along with Tirunelveli MLA Nainar Nagenthran, Mr. Murugan said the DMK government was conducting the ‘Muththamizh Murugan Maanaadu’ at Palani as it was fearing that the Hindus would support overwhelmingly the BJP in future elections.
“When a group made derogatory remarks against Lord Muruga, we took out ‘Vel yatra’ covering all six abodes of Muruga including Palani. The ‘yatra’ indeed attracted large number of Hindus towards the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Since the DMK government is fearing that the Hindu mobilization in favour of BJP would further swell in future, it is organizing this conference in Palani in a bid to appease the Hindus,” Mr. Murugan said.
