Madurai MLA openly raps CM over soft stand on BJP

AIADMK MLA and Madurai (urban) district secretary VV Rajan Chellappa has slammed Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s ‘cordial approach’ towards the BJP government and declared that the district unit would conduct a two-wheeler procession against the Centre on the rising petroleum prices.

“We should not keep on bending and there is a limit to anything. Cordiality with the Centre is good, but it is not good to be silent on issues affecting the people,” he said. 

“We have already appealed to the Chief Minister to lead the party protest against the Union government on the issue of petroleum prices. If he fails to do so, the Madurai AIADMK district unit will announce its own protest against the Centre. We will hold a two-wheeler procession against the BJP government,” he told the media after inaugurating an anganwadi in Madurai on Wednesday. He also said that the district unit of the AIADMK would convene its executive meeting on February 9 and pass a resolution to announce the protest against the Union government. 

Slamming the Centre, the ruling party MLA asked, “When the crude oil prices are going down every day, why the prices of petrol and diesel go on increasing here?” The Union government has been increasing the petroleum prices every now and then and this is condemnable. 

Former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, whether in power or opposition, had condemned the Centre whenever it increased the petroleum prices and conducted agitations against the Union government, he added. The concession scheme for scooters to women would not benefit the people if the petroleum prices continued to be high. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam should start their activities against the BJP government, he said. 

Already, Co-operative Minister and Madurai (urban) district secretary ‘Sellur’ K Raju had openly declared that the state government’s cordial approach towards the BJP had alienated the party from the people. However, senior AIADMK leaders declined to comment on the development when contacted.