CHENNAI: Health and Family Welfare Minister KG Arunraj on Sunday (September 6) dismissed the Left parties' criticism that bureaucrats were running the government, calling the charge 'amusing' and saying action had been taken against officials responsible for an unauthorised circular seeking details of students associated with Communist organisations.
Responding to media persons here, Arunraj said the circular had been issued without the government's knowledge and that the officials responsible had faced action.
"It is amusing to say that the government is under the control of officials based on this one incident," he said.
"During the previous DMK regime, it was the officials who ran the government. The then Chief Minister did not know what was happening and believed that whatever the officials said was the reality," Arunraj alleged.
He said officials were being given the opportunity to work under a transparent administration under the TVK government and that the mistakes of a few could not be used to indict the entire system.
On law and order, Arunraj said Opposition parties and legislators had the right to raise questions in the Assembly and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay would respond.
He alleged that the Opposition was deliberately attempting to create a wrong impression about the Chief Minister and said the government was taking several measures to maintain law and order and ensure women's safety.
Speaking at an eye-donation awareness rally at Besant Nagar, Arunraj said Tamil Nadu had remained a leading State in organ donation and urged people to donate their eyes and other organs.
He said the Health Department had made arrangements ahead of the monsoon, including dengue preparedness at medical colleges, hospitals and primary health centres.
At an event for children with special needs at Rajarathinam Stadium, he said every child has unique abilities and that society's responsibility is to provide equal opportunities rather than sympathy.
"Every child is a potential achiever. We do not need to show them compassion; providing them the opportunities they need is enough," he said, adding that government programmes were in place for the early identification of children requiring special care.