CHENNAI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu made a series of allegations against the DMK government while campaigning for NDA candidates in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Assembly election.
Addressing reporters in Guindy, he said he was surprised by Chief Minister MK Stalin's remark that Tamil Nadu defeated Delhi in the delimitation issue. He alleged that DMK and Congress are opposing the Women's Reservation Bill for political reasons.
He recalled that Congress did not support the bill in 1996. Even though PM Modi explained delimitation with data, the opposition was not ready to listen, he said.
Naidu clarified that delimitation will only increase the seats based on population, and South Indian states would not be affected.
He alleged that Chennai airport, though very old, lags behind Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports today. He also said the IT sector is stronger in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, while Chennai's IT talent is moving abroad due to the lack of infrastructure.
He flagged poor road quality in Chennai, incomplete stormwater drain works, and alleged a 59 per cent rise in crimes against women in Tamil Nadu. He also alleged corruption in liquor sales.
"A state grows well only when it works closely with the Centre. We are building a grand airport in Amaravati with the Centre's support," he said.
Asked about TVK leader Vijay, Naidu said NTR and MGR were incomparable leaders and whether Vijay would serve people as a political party leader was unproven. "Don't compare anyone with NTR and MGR," he said.
Calling himself a Dravidian, Naidu recalled NTR's 45-year association with Tamil Nadu and also praised Tamil Nadu's culture, economy, and icons from Kambar to Abdul Kalam, but said infrastructure has not been up to the mark.
He praised AIADMK's Edappadi K Palaniswami as a strong leader and urged people to vote for the NDA for a developed Tamil Nadu. He also mentioned plans for a high-speed rail connecting Andhra, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Amaravati.