Tamil Nadu is Andal's soil, not Periyar's, says Tamilisai Soundararajan

Chennai: The BJP has claimed that the delay in finalising the site is holding up the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for Tamil Nadu.

“The delay in finalising the place for the AIIMS is delaying the project,” BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan said and recalled that during his recent visit to the State, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey had asked the State government to expedite the process of identifying the land for AIIMS.

The Centre has proposed to set up six new AIIMS in the country by 2020 while two will be ready by 2021. It may be recalled that the Central team had visited five places identified by the State government for the Rs 1,500 crore project.

Refuting the Dravidian parties’ claim that Tamil Nadu is the land of rationalist leader Periyar, she said Tamil Nadu is very much Andal’s soil, not Periyar’s.

“Who said this is Periyar’s land? For centuries, Tamil Nadu is a holy land of many religious scholars and saints who preached good things. This is Andal’s soil,” she contended.

Taking exception to the opposition to the unveiling of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the State Assembly, she said Jayalalithaa deserved the honour as she is known for her acumen and as woman political leader with administrative skills.

To a question, Dr. Tami-lisai replied, “The BJP has to come to power if good things are needed for Tamil Nadu.” It was the BJP that had sowed the roots for spiritual politics (the term used by Tamil films superstar Rajinikanth) in the State, she added.