BJP has destroyed the MGNREGA scheme: TNCC president Manickam Tagore

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B. Manickam Tagore on Wednesday criticized Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran for investigating the National Herald case while continuing to support the BJP-led Central government’s moves to “destroy” the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme by changing the Centre-State fiscal ratio and the Mekedatu dam issue despite the Tamil Nadu Congress strongly opposing the Congress government’s move in Karnataka.

In a statement, Mr. Tagore said Mr. Nagendran should provide a response to the issue of misuse of endowment funds in the Ayodhya Ram temple and financial injustice inflicted on Tamil Nadu.

“By changing the Centre-State funding ratio from 90:10 to 60:40, you are imposing an additional financial burden of ₹ 5,000 crore on Tamil Nadu and disenfranchising the rural poor. This plan is tantamount to ‘killing Mahatma Gandhi for the second time’! Is this what you call ‘development for all’?” he asked and added: “The Special Investigation Team has revealed that ₹6-8 lakh endowment money is allegedly stolen every day from the Ayodhya Ram Temple Foundation. Is that your definition of ‘corruption-free’? Why are you silent on the irregularities in the Dwarka Expressway project and the Ayushman Bharat scheme exposed by the latest CAG reports?”

He further said: “It is very funny that Nainar Nagendran, who heads the BJP, which has been completely rejected by the people of Tamil Nadu and has failed to gain any foothold in the state, has the audacity to mock the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s stand on the Mekedatu issue. The people of Tamil Nadu are watching this and laughing.”

“Everyone knows that whether Karnataka is ruled by the Congress or the BJP, Tamil Nadu’s voice on the Cauvery water dispute has never been given due importance. I think Nainar Nagendran has forgotten that when the BJP was in power in Karnataka, Chief Ministers BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai had repeatedly declared that they would definitely build the Mekedatu Dam. The people of Tamil Nadu have not even forgotten that Yediyurappa went over the dam. The Congress leader is on the border with Tamil Nadu.” He said they would stage a protest demanding the construction of the Mekedatu Dam.