Centre's discriminatory politics disrupting peace in Tamil Nadu: AIADMK
Chennai: In a surprise development, the AIADMK on Friday hit out at the Centre accusing it of disrupting peace in Tamil Nadu through its discriminatory policies and politics. Unless the Centre changed its attitude at once, there would be serious threat to unity and integrity, the ruling party said in its harshest attack on the Modi Government in recent times.
“Why has this black (protests) erupted in this manner in our land known for its unbridled generosity? There’s rage on every face. It’s the discriminatory conduct of the Centre that has caused this upsurge of anger”, said a special piece, written in flowery poetic form, in the ruling party’s official newspaper ‘Namadhu Amma’.
Listing out the various shortcomings TN had faced at the hands of Delhi—most of them in the post-Jayalalithaa period—such as the denial of the extension sought for Neet exemption “at least for one year”, the inadequate compensation for the Vardha cyclone damage and the inequitable allocation of funds to the state that contributed “the second largest tax revenue to the Centre”, the AIADMK’s hate-poem said: “The Centre must change its attitude without wasting time, or else the unity and integrity will be fractured; let the lotus party understand now”.
The AIADMK outburst against the Centre could cause a mini political storm in the midst of the already surcharged environment in Tamil Nadu. While no prominent state minister or AIADMK functionary was willing to openly comment on the party organ's provocative poem, a senior member of the editorial team at 'Namadhu Amma' told DC: "It's true that there is no cordial relationship between our government and the Centre now".
Explaining further, he said: "Our Chief Minister had pleaded with the Prime Minister during his trip here on Thursday, first on the DefExpo dais and later at the airport, to do something on the Supreme Court order on Cauvery Management Board. The PM went away without uttering a word on that; he could have at least shown us some courtesy by saying he respects the sentiments of Tamil Nadu people and would do something".
It now remains to be seen if Delhi would do something soon to iron out the differences with the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, or if the fissure would be allowed to deepen into a crisis.
