Tamil Nadu government may change even without election: M K Stalin

Chennai: There is a possibility that the Tamil Nadu government may change even without an election now, the DMK president M.K. Stalin declared at a  demonstration here on Monday to put pressure on the government to take steps to solve the water crisis in Chennai and other areas.

The huge protest, organised by the Chennai west DMK unit to condemn the AIADMK government's “inept” handling of the water scarcity issue, saw Mr. Stalin taking to the streets directly ahead of the Assembly session from June 28. Central Chennai MP, Dayanidhi Maran, local MLA, J Anbazhagan and hundreds of other party men participated in the protest.

In a dramatic gesture, Stalin raised an empty pot, raising the slogan, “Kodam Inge, Thaneer Enge (the pot is here, where is the water), in asking the Tamil Nadu government what it had done to mitigate the people's suffering due to the acute water scarcity in recent months.

Charging the government with not taking sufficient action to solve the water problem, he said, due to lack of precautionary measures by the ruling party, “people are now protesting in the streets daily.”

“If they get sufficient water, people will not come to the streets, but the rulers are not worried about the water scarcity. They are worried about protecting their government,” the DMK leader said.   

Taking a dig at the 'Yagnas' organised by the AIADMK ministers recently, praying for rains, Stalin said the 'Yagnas' were done “only to protect their government.”

Referring to the DMK having given notice for the removal of the Assembly Speaker in the ensuing session, Stalin said it was really the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led government that should be removed, not the Speaker. “There is a possibility the present government may change even without

election. I will not say how it will be happen; your expectations will come true and a DMK government will be formed,” Stalin asserted.  

Recalling how the previous DMK government brought a desalination plant to be set up at Nemmeli on the way to Mamallapuram, Stalin charged the present AIADMK regime as being “corrupt”.  

Mr. Stalin also took exception with the State government threatening schools and hotels against closure in view of the water problem. The government's plan to move water by rail tankers from Jolarpet was really water from the Hogenakkal water project, a scheme that was brought by the DMK.

Cautioning that “this (AIADMK) government will be thrown out very soon if they did not take action to solve the water crisis,” Stalin said DMK will step up its protests with “fill the jails in Tamil Nadu in a big way.”