Chennai: Mayor Priya targets CM Vijay over Assembly conduct, lists TVK govt’s ‘failures’

CHENNAI: Mayor R Priya Rajan launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, condemning his conduct and body language in the Assembly towards DMK president MK Stalin.

Priya, at the monthly council meeting on Friday, said that Vijay had disrespected Stalin with his references to MISA imprisonment during the Emergency. She said such conduct was unbecoming of the office of the Chief Minister.

Recalling the state’s political history, Priya opined that the dignity associated with the office had been upheld by successive governments headed by erstwhile CMs like Omandur Ramasamy Reddiar, C Rajagopalachari, K Kamaraj, M Bhaktavatsalam, CN Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and MK Stalin. She also claimed that Left leaders, political figures and senior journalists had criticised Vijay’s conduct in the Assembly, and praised Opposition leader Udhayanidhi for repeatedly cornering TVK in debates, while ministers responded by raising unrelated issues.

Listing grievances against the TVK government during its first four months, Priya cited crime and law-and-order issues, price rise and restrictions on Aavin milk supplies. She alleged that power interruptions had affected households, industries, hospitals and students, with officials attributing the disruptions to weather conditions.

On the scrapping of the proposed Parandur airport, Priya alleged that the government was looking for alternative sites while moving to privatise Meenambakkam airport and blaming the Opposition for the issue. She said that the DMK’s “steadfastness” had helped keep TN among the leading states in the country.