CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday took a swipe at the ruling DMK, questioning its moral authority to criticise the Prime Minister’s global engagements while failing to maintain cohesion within its own alliance.
“Can they control Congress MP Manickam Tagore? They ask whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi can handle US President Donald Trump, but they are unable to manage their own allies. They could not even constitute a committee to hold alliance talks here, while the Prime Minister is forming committees and engaging with several nations,” she said, addressing reporters at the Chennai airport.
Turning to the State’s interim Budget, she alleged that it offered no tangible benefits to the people and was aimed at blaming the Union government. “There is no need to target the Centre through the Budget. The Union government has allocated Rs 11 lakh crore for infrastructure. The State’s allocation for infrastructure is comparatively low,” she said.
She said there was no announcement on providing Rs 3,200 per quintal for paddy, nor on the demand for Rs 4,000 for sugarcane or farm loan waivers. “There are no concrete development schemes. Tamil Nadu will not gain from this Budget,” she added.
The BJP’s manifesto committee would visit the delta districts to understand farmers’ demands and incorporate them transparently, she said, alleging that the DMK’s allies themselves lacked confidence in the ruling party.