Tamil Nadu Governor doing 'cheap politics' than opposition: CM Stalin

COIMBATORE: Continuing his attack on Governor RN Ravi for allegedly spreading slander against the DMK government, Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Sunday that the Governor was playing in cheaper politics than the opposition parties.

Unable to bear the fact that the Dravidian model government has made Tamil Nadu a frontrunner in implementing development schemes and shows the way for the whole nation, some poisonous elements were spreading slander against the regime, he alleged.

“I don’t care what opposition parties say. But Governor Ravi has been indulging in cheap politics by spreading slander against the DMK government,” he said in Dharmapuri, where he inaugurated completed works, laid the foundation for new projects, and distributed welfare aid.

Stalin said Ravi mocked Dravidam, refused to grant assent to Bills, paraded a non-existent Thirukkural, disrespected ‘Tamizh Thai Vazhthu’, humiliated Tamil Nadu students, and created panic by speaking wickedly on issues of education, law and order, and women's safety.

“However, the statistics by the BJP-led Union government are proof that Tamil Nadu tops in India and is ahead of the BJP-ruled states. Tamil Nadu has secured the second spot in school education nationwide. We have attracted an investment of Rs 10 lakh crore in the last four years only because Tamil Nadu remains a haven of peace. Unable to bear this, the Governor talks out of frustration in public stages,” he said.

Flaying the Governor for his recent comment that there was no safety for women, Stalin pointed out that the Union government’s National Crime Records Bureau 2022 report showed that BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh topped in crimes against women. “The BJP government is doing cheap politics through the Governor, who speaks against the Tamil language and our State, and also hurts the sentiments of Tamils,” he said.

The Governor should continue in Tamil Nadu, as his presence would ensure that their love for language, culture, and Dravidian principles did not fizzle out, Stalin quipped.

“Let him continue his assault, I don’t care. Under the Dravidian model 2.0 rule, growth will be ushered in all departments to raise Tamil Nadu to a developed state,” he said.

Noting that Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have implemented their version of the ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ scheme that provides free bus travel for women, Stalin said the DMK government has proven wrong the critics who spun stories that implementing the scheme may result in a reduction of bus services and a hike in ticket fares.

Despite the poor financial situation of Tamil Nadu caused by the previous AIADMK regime, approving the ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ scheme was the first file on which he put his signature as the new CM, he said. “We felt that it was not an expense but an investment for the development of women. In the last 51 months since the DMK came to power, the scheme helped women save Rs 50,000 at an average of Rs 1,000 every month,” he said.

Crop loan scheme

Earlier, Chief Minister Stalin rolled out an instant crop loan scheme under the Primary Agriculture Co-operative Societies (PACS) in Dharmapuri. This pilot scheme, which is being tested for the first time in India, eliminates the existing procedure of going in person to apply at PACS and wait for a week to get the loan sanctioned.

“To avoid delay and replace the existing system, the farmers can apply online for crop loans from the comfort of their houses and get the amount sanctioned on the same day,” he said.