The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : G.K. Mani, 3 PMK MLAs meet Veerapandi Arumugam

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G.K. Mani, 3 PMK MLAs meet Veerapandi Arumugam

R. Ilangovan

The trio have been at loggerheads with Agriculture Minister

Photo: P.Goutham

PMK MLAs, including G.K. Mani, coming out after meeting Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam in Salem on Saturday. —

SALEM: Three PMK legislators from Salem district, who have been at loggerheads with Agriculture Minister and DMK Salem district secretary, Veerapandi S. Arumugam, met him along with PMK president G.K. Mani here on Saturday.

Mr. Mani, also an MLA from Mettur, refused to attach any significance, “politically or otherwise,” to the meeting, which he said was “very, very cordial.”

“We discussed issues concerning about the development schemes being carried out in the district, which included our long-pending demand for utilising surplus water from the Mettur dam and the need for restoring traffic on the Ellis saddle bridge of Stanley reservoir. The Minister gave a patient hearing and promised to look into them,” he said.

The PMK MLAs — A. Tamilarasu (Omalur), V. Kavery (Edapadi) and C. Kannaiyan (Taramangalam) — had spoken of a revolt against the Minister even when their party was in alliance with the DMK.

They had openly accused him of neglecting them and treating them shabbily at many public forums, meetings and even at press conferences. Barring Mr. Mani, they were skipping all government functions attended by the Minister for the last three years, claiming they were not properly invited. Asked whether the meeting had sorted out the differences, Mr. Mani said that nothing of that sort had taken place. “Everything is fine. We have been interacting with the Minister frequently on people's issues and I have been attending functions with him regularly. Now we have invited him to other functions too especially in the areas falling under all our constituencies.”

Reacting to the MLAs' criticism in the past and on the latest development, Mr. Arumugam, told The Hindu that he was “very happy” that the three MLAs had met him and expressed regret for what had happened. “It is nothing but a few minor irritants and to be dismissed forthwith.” The MLAs had invited him for functions in their Assembly segments.

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