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‘TN MPs have failed on Salem division’

Coimbatore: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko on Tuesday accused the Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu of having failed to prevent Pollachi from being given away to the Palakkad railway division in lieu of Coimbatore and Tirupur. Mr. Vaiko said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi should own up the responsibility for that.

He was talking to reporters here on way to Pollachi for the ‘rail roko’ agitation by the party scheduled for Wednesday.

Referring to the compromise formula for resolving the row over the formation of the Salem division (by giving away 79 km route mileage in Pollachi and Kinathukkadavu to the Palakkad division), Mr. Vaiko wanted to know under what authority did the MPs take the decision and asked whether there was any such precedent.

The decision to give Pollachi and Kinathukkadavu to the Palakkad division would adversely affect the publicsince they had to rely on the Palakkad division for every thing. Referring to the talks held by the Railway Minister with a few select MPs, Mr.Vaiko said it was not an issue in the United Progressive Alliance with the left parties.

The MP representing the constituency was neither invited nor consulted on the issue, he alleged.

Mr. Vaiko wanted to know whether the MPs had signed such an agreement with the concurrence of the Chief Minister or had he given them a blank cheque to sign. If the MPs had signed the agreement without the concurrence, he wanted to know what action the DMK would take against them. He ridiculed that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) bandh at Pollachi on Tuesday was to deceive people since it was a party to the decision taken in New Delhi. He dubbed the decision to compensate Kerala with Pollachi and Kinathukkadavu (currently with the Madurai division) as “betrayal” of Tamil Nadu.

Stating that Pollachi and Kinathukkadavu were not orphans, he said the Railway Minister should not implement the decision.

While the Kerala Chief Minister was not willing to even give away the areas outside his State, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister who had a good clout with the Centre had failed to protect the areas that were well within the State.

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‘TN MPs have failed on Salem division’

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