Silence on Cauvery, Mekedatu and NEET is betrayal: Dayanidhi Maran targets Congress, TVK

CHENNAI: DMK leader and Central Chennai MP Dayanidhi Maran on Sunday mounted a sharp attack on the Congress and the ruling TVK, accusing them of betraying Tamil Nadu’s interests by remaining silent on critical issues, including the Cauvery dispute, the proposed Mekedatu dam and the demand to abolish the NEET examination.

In a statement, Maran said leaders visiting Tamil Nadu without speaking up for the State’s rights over the Cauvery river or opposing the Mekedatu project were betraying the people.

“Those who remain silent on Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery rights and fail to oppose the Mekedatu dam, which threatens the State’s share of river water, are betrayers,” he said, alluding to Congress leader and LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and his visit to the State on Saturday (August 1).

The former Union minister also criticised those who spoke only about alleged irregularities in NEET without demanding the examination’s abolition, saying it amounted to a betrayal of Tamil Nadu’s long-standing stand against the test.

Stepping up his attack on the Congress party without naming it directly, Maran alleged that those who condemned the BJP’s alleged horse-trading but ignored similar practices by the TVK were displaying double standards. He further accused the TVK government of suppressing dissent by arresting individuals for social media posts critical of the administration and alleged that the Tamil Nadu Police had used excessive force against students protesting against NEET.

“After hearing political lessons delivered during a recent visit to Tamil Nadu, all these betrayals came to my mind. How many betrayals can there be?” Maran remarked