Victory shows govt living up to people’s trust: Stalin

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said the people of Tamil Nadu gave DMK a decisive mandate in the urban civic body polls upon realising that the government has lived up to their trust.

Appealing to the elected civic representatives to join him in creating a prosperous Tamil Nadu, Stalin said, “People believed and voted us to power. We have lived up to their trust. The urban civic body poll victory is proof that people realised and recognised it.”

Remarking that the people have completely rejected the opposition parties and their malicious campaign that the DMK returned to power by making attractive promises, the CM, in a statement, said the Opposition was not ready to understand that the poll promises were meant for five years. “Unable to tolerate the public goodwill for the government, the Opposition parties attempted to divert people by spreading allegations. But people have demonstrated that they would not discern anyone other than Rising Sun,” the CM said. Adding that the public confidence in the government has increased in the last nine months, Stalin said the responsibilities of the government have increased and they would fulfill the expectations of the people.

Stating that the elected civic representatives have the duty to take the schemes implemented at Fort St George, Stalin said the victors would certainly do it and he would directly monitor their performance. “They will discharge their duties in such a way that complaints do not arise. I will monitor that too. I will not be a person who only issues order from above. I will also monitor if the schemes fully reach the people,” he added.

Later in the day, a delegation of Tamil Nadu Congress leaders led by its state president KS Alagiri called on Chief Minister Stalin along with the party’s newly elected civic representatives and congratulated him for the resounding victory. Speaking to reporters, Alagiri debunked his BJP counterpart K Annamalai’s claim that his party, contesting alone, has emerged the third largest in the state. Alagiri also dared the BJP to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha poll on its own if it were so strong.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday urged the Centre to take steps to prevent attacks on TN fishermen by Sri Lankan nationals. “On February 17, four fishermen from Kodiyakarai in Nagapattinam, were intercepted by a group of unidentified Sri Lankan nationals. In this attack, they were robbed of their GPS, fish catch, fuel and two mobile phones.

The physical attacks and robbing of fishing assets and catch are totally against any law and deprive the fishermen of their livelihood,” said Stalin, in a DO letter. He also said that in yet another incident, six TN fishermen, from Nambuthala village in Ramanathapuram, were arrested by Lankan Navy on February 18. “There have been four such incidents by the Sri Lankan Navy in the last 30 days in which 7 fishing boats and 47 fishermen from TN were held. This creates fear among fishing community,” said Stalin. He urged MEA Jaishankar to take up the issue at highest possible level in Sri Lankan govt.