Jayakumar accuses Vaiko of stalling Moolakothalam project

“Vaiko has stated that someone is backing the Adi-Dravida people. I now want to make it clear that I am backing them. Our party and our government are backing them,” Jayakumar said. 

“The housing project for Adi-Dravida people would help those living in the area to move to the proposed multi-storey apartment complex. The people are otherwise left with no basic amenities including shelter,” Jayakumar said, and wondered, “Is it wrong to uplift their quality of life?” The Minister also rued as to why Vaiko had taken such a stand against Adi-Dravida people. Vaiko, who inspected Moolakothalam which is final resting place of Anti-Hindi martyrs Thalamuthu and Natarajan and social activist Dharmambal, has stated that he would not allow the land acquisition for the project and termed it as a scheme to remove the cemetery itself.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed near the headquarters of the MDMK as a section of people claiming to be beneficiaries of the Moolakothalam housing project attempted to besiege the party office. 

The protesters were stopped near Langs Garden Road where they resorted to a demonstration and were restrained from moving towards Thayagam where the students’ wing meeting was underway. 

Meanwhile, the MDMK members flagged a speeding autorickshaw and attacked the passengers suspecting them to be protesters. It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity as it emerged that the injured too were MDMK cadres. Vaiko, who spoke after this episode blamed that some forces are behind the proposed besiege drives in the pretext of beneficiaries. A complaint against the protesters was lodged with the police. 

The humongous housing project of the Slum Clearance Board proposes to build as many as 1,044 tenements in an expanse of 11.51 acres which remains unused and is discharged from the Cemetery land parcel. The project’s estimated cost is Rs 138.29 crore. 

The issue was recently raised by the DMK in the Assembly and it was decided to inspect the spot with an all-party delegation to take stock of the project.