T.N. Assembly election: PMK poll manifesto calls for T.N. govt. to carry out caste census

PMK president Anbumani on Wednesday said the party will appeal to the State government to conduct “social justice” caste census, provide ₹2,000 every month to all women, improve law and order and stop the spread of drugs in Tamil Nadu.

Releasing the election manifesto at the party’s office in Chennai, he said: “The Center will collect data at the macro level. Only State governments can collect data at the micro level, which can be justified in courts. The population and backwardness of a caste needs to be justified on the basis of which internal reservations and the like can be given. A State government can ask 70 questions to get complete data. This is to determine the social, educational and economic status of families.” He also accused the DMK government of accruing huge debts without any capital expenditure.

“No money was spent on irrigation projects, improvement of government schools and medical colleges and industrial construction. Only Rs 1.6 lakh crore was spent on capital expenditure. Prime Minister MK Stalin is surrounded by several bureaucrats and ministers behaving like businessmen,” he alleged. He alleged that corruption amounting to ₹1.82 lakh crore had occurred in Tasmac alone. “They did all this because they knew they wouldn’t come back,” he said. “I welcome direct cash transfers, but people must be allowed to live with dignity.”

Despite ideological differences, Dr. Anbumani said the opposition is united to oppose and eliminate DMK’s “corruption” rule. When asked how he could justify the alliance with the AIADMK, which he had earlier opposed for the same reasons, Dr. Anbumani said, “Haven’t Vaiko (MDMK leader), Vijayakant (late DMDK founder) and Thirumavalavan (VCK leader) accused DMK of corruption before? Vijayakant started the party to oppose DMK. We formed an alliance to eliminate DMK, which cannot provide protection to women. It is a drug-dealing, corrupt party. We may have ideological differences, but we have one goal.

Dr. Anbumani also said that Tamil Nadu was deprived of a strong and independent Lokayukta as those in power would be the first to go to jail.

“The Enforcement Directorate gave evidence of corruption in sand mining to the tune of ₹ 4,800 crore. The Tamil Nadu government should have initiated the investigation. But they went to court,” he said.