Centre vs DMK Over Scrapped Rail Project, AIADMK Adds A “Personal” Angle

A scrapped railway venture in Tamil Nadu has grow to be the most recent bone of competition between the state and central governments. The DMK has denied claims by Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that the state authorities was not prepared to go forward with the venture that might have linked the southern districts of Madurai and Thoothukudi.

Throughout his latest Chennai go to, Mr Vaishnaw stated that the venture has been shelved because the DMK authorities had given it in writing they do not wish to pursue the venture.

Talking to reporters after inspecting Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat sleeper coaches at ICF Chennai on Friday, he had requested the state authorities to position service to folks above politics. “We want the state authorities’s help in land acquisition. We should make it possible for folks’s amenities are above politics and we should take a look at the welfare of the folks first,” he had stated.

Learn: DMK MP’s “Unfit” Jibe At Union Minister. After Uproar, He Doubles Down

DMK Youth Wing accused the minister of “blatantly mendacity” and shared a letter through which Chief Minister MK Stalin had in August sought funds for the venture. “Why is he saying it when the CM write a letter asking for a venture and when actually it’s the Railways that has rejected the request stating frivolous causes,” the publish learn.

State Transport Minister SS Sivasankar additionally claimed that his authorities had by no means sought that the venture be withdrawn – neither in writing nor verbally. Relatively, he stated they’d been insisting on the implementation of the venture and that such contradictory remarks present the centre’s discriminatory nature in direction of Tamil Nadu.

‘Private, Not Political’

AIADMK, the arch-rival of the DMK, alleged Chief Minister MK Stalin blocked the railway venture since Thoothukudi is his sister Okay Kanimozhi’s constituency, and it could improve her recognition and threaten his son’s elevation within the get together.

“It clearly exposes the precedence of MK Stalin in direction of the welfare schemes in Tamil Nadu. The rationale for saying no is extra private than political. MK Stalin doesn’t need any alternative for Kanimozhi to take the credit score since Tuticorin is her constituency. He doesn’t need any measures that can improve the recognition of Kanimozhi as a result of she’s going to grow to be a direct menace to Udhayanidhi’s elevation. He needs to silence his sister,” stated AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan.

Learn: ‘Childish Actions’: MK Stalin Jabs Tamil Nadu Governor Over Assembly Address

The venture was introduced in 2011-12. Southern Railway began engaged on it in 2016 and 18 km out of the 143.5 km stretch was accomplished between Milavittan and Melmarudur in 2022. Rs 324 crore has already been spent on the venture.

The DMK, a key ally of the Congress, and the BJP-led centre had been at loggerheads over varied points. One other latest occasion of the state authorities hitting out on the centre is MK Stalin’s ripping remarks in opposition to Governor RN Ravi. The Chief Minister yesterday slammed his choice to not deal with the meeting session as “infantile” and acknowledged that he’s unable to digest that the state was growing.