Chennai: The BJP state President Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan took pot shots at DMK Chief M. Karunanidhi saying the former CM ought to know who really strengthened the local bodies.
Contending that the Centre was instrumental in devolving more powers to the state in a bid to strengthen the local bodies, she reminded him that the Centre began disbursing funds to the civic bodies when Mr Karunanidhi was at the helm of affairs in the state. She was reacting to the DMK stalwart's remark that the BJP-led NDA government's proposal to close down the Ministry of Panchayati Raj would negate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dictum “minimum government; maximum governance.”
“The fact is the Centre has hiked the percentage of sharing the revenue from taxes to benefit the states. What is wrong if the enhanced allocation made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the states was utilised also for the development of the civic bodies,” she asked and claimed that Mr Karunanidhi was giving the wrong impression that the BJP was out to destroy the Panchayati Raj system.
“It is merely his figment of imagination… he is giving the impression that the BJP is trying to destroy the Panchyati Raj system and is needlessly dragging RSS and thereby hurting the nationalists,” Dr Tamilisai added.
