Chennai: PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss on Thursday urged voters not believe the campaign of opposition parties accusing his party as a “castiest party”. “We have nominated three to four dalit candidates in general constituencies but we did not proclaim it as a revolutionary one. The word revolution did not have any meaning in the state as many people affix it in their names,” he said addressing his party’s rally in T. Nagar to introduce candidates in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.
“I urge upon voters here not to believe the campaign of opposition parties accusing PMK as castiest party,” he said, adding that everybody appreciates his party’s statements on issues and their policy documents but they point to the party’s caste tag. PMK’s chief ministerial candidate Dr Anbumani Ramadoss asked DMK treasurer M. K. Stalin why he went back on his promise to implement prohibition at one go itself. “I was campaigning saying that first day first signature will be implementation of prohibition if voted to power. But Stalin copied my promise and said he will implement prohibition if he comes to power. However, DMK’s manifesto says that a law will be enacted to implement prohibition. Why did he go back on his promise?” he asked.
He added that there was no need for a law to implement prohibition. “It can be done through an executive order,” he said, adding that it shows the DMK’s reluctance to implement prohibition. “Stalin also never replied to my demand to shutdown distilleries and breweries owned by DMK party men to prove his commitment. Now somebody else is saying they would shut the plants if they were voted to power. My question why they cannot do it now?” he asked. Questioning AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa’s assurance of phased implementation of prohibition, he said that if they were in favour of liquor ban, they could have done it when they were in power for the last five year. Dr Anbumani also promised to bring about a overall development of the state. “We have plans and projects for the development of the whole state,” he said.
