Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Vaiko blames DMK president for not taking up cause of flood-hit farmers with Centre

Madurai Bureau

The MDMK leader campaigns for his party's Tirumangalam candidate Veera. Elavarasan at Chekkanoorani

MADURAI: The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary, Vaiko, has accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M. Karunanidhi, of not taking up the cause of flood-affected farmers with the Centre.

Campaigning for the party's Tirumangalam candidate, Veera. Elavarasan, at Chekkanoorani near here on Monday, Mr. Vaiko said the Centre allocated a meagre sum of Rs. 500 crore for flood relief though the State Government sought more than Rs. 13,000 crore. While Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had suggested that farmers whose coconut and banana/sugarcane crops were damaged in the floods be given Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 10,000 per acre respectively, Mr. Karunanidhi neither supported the plea nor voiced the grievances of farmers. "Despite having so many Ministers at the Centre, the DMK did nothing to alleviate the sufferings of farmers in Tamil Nadu."

Mr. Vaiko said he had only raised valid questions in the election campaign and had nothing personal against anybody. "Instead of replying to my questions, they have chosen to launch a personal attack. There is no question of tendering an apology to Union Minister Dayananidhi Maran, who has served a legal notice threatening a defamation suit. I request him (the Minister) to file the case at the earliest so that I can bring to light more irregularities," he said.

The MDMK leader hailed the `Chief Minister's Farmers Protection Scheme' and said it was the only one of its kind in the country. Later, he campaigned for All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Usilampatti candidate E. Mahendran.

Dindigul

Earlier in the day, he addressed meetings in support of AIADMK candidate for Athoor constituency, C. Srinivasan, in Iyyampalayam and Sempatti and the AIADMK candidate for Nilakottai constituency, Thenmozhi Sekar, at Batlagundu and Pattiveeranpatti.

At a meeting in Dindigul, he introduced N. Selvaraghavan, MDMK candidate for Dindigul.

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