Statement on Sasi nothing wrong, Sellur Raju backs OPS

OPS said her inclusion would be decided by the party high command and there is no controversy at all in the AIADMK and party’s joint coordinator and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami did not even say a word about it, he added.

Being AIADMK coordinator, Panneerselvam, during his recent schedule in Madurai, was of the view that the party would collectively consult on strategies to be implemented ahead of urban local body polls, but the media had misconstrued his statement, Raju told reporters.

Refuting statements made by Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy, AIADMK MLA Raju said his statements were totally wrong. Actually, most of the underground drainage works at Rs 247 crore were being carried out in Madurai East constituency, from where Moorthy was voted to power, since last year. Moreover, a high level bridge at Rs 1,000 crore and road infrastructure developments at Rs 35 crore were also executed in Moorthy’s constituency by the AIADMK. Citing these, Raju said AIADMK during its regime delivered people centric governance and development projects were implemented irrespective of constituencies.

During the last two consecutive terms of AIADMK regime, infrastructure development projects to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore were carried out in Madurai district and currently, developments worth Rs 5,000 crore are underway in the district.

Taking pride, Raju said it’s the AIADMK government, which paved way to bring water from Mullaperiyar dam to benefit the people of Madurai under a historical project at Rs 1,296 crore. He also added that major water bodies in Madurai were desilted to ensure adequate storage and owing to such developments, groundwater table went up to keep water crisis at bay. The erstwhile AIADMK government also facilitated the reach of water to Mariamman Teppakulam whenever water’s released from Vaigai dam, he said.

Further, to a query on BJP state chief K Annamalai’s claim of the party acting as main Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Raju replied that such comments were made by Annamalai only to nurture his party.