CUDDALORE (TAMIL NADU): The Sethusamudram ship canal project may be implemented without causing any damage to Ram Sethu, which is revered by the people, the BJP resolved in its State executive committee meet here on Friday.
Led by State unit president K Annamalai, the party meet demanded an apology from Chief Minister M K Stalin to the people for alleged use of language, that did not denote respect, against Governor R N Ravi.
Slamming the ruling party over the Vengaivayal (Pudukkottai district) incident, the BJP demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for it and very stringent punishment for them.
The incident refers to mixing of human faeces in an overhead water tank in a Scheduled Caste residential neighbourhood under Vengaivayal village in Pudukkottai district.
The Chief Minister had asserted in the Assembly last week that the State would deal with an iron hand against communally divisive, anti-social elements. The government later transferred the case to the CB-CID wing of state police, which has begun investigation.
In a resolution, the BJP demanded to know about the sand that was dredged up in the past in connection with the ship canal project. ‘Where did the sand get taken and how much revenue was earned?’ it asked.
Pointing to people’s faith vis-a-vis Ram Sethu, the party said that the project may be implemented without causing any damage to Ram Sethu.
Condemning what it called the conduct of the ruling DMK and its allies against Ravi in the State Assembly recently, the saffron party accused the governing party of taking up ‘language politics’ and spreading ‘libel’ against the Governor.
The DMK and its allies created the unnecessary ‘Tamizhagam-Tamil Nadu’ controversy and they are staging a drama over it. The BJP demanded the arrest of a DMK office-bearer (suspended later and against whom a case was filed in court) Sivaji Krishnamurthy and party’s organising secretary R S Bharathi for alleged objectionable comments against Ravi.
At a DMK youth wing event programme last week, Stalin had said ‘someone is today lamenting that the term Tamil Nadu should not be used’ which was seen as a veiled attack on Governor Ravi.
The Governor had on Wednesday clarified that he referred to the State as ‘Tamizhagam’ in historical and cultural context and construing it as a suggestion to change the name of Tamil Nadu was ‘erroneous’ and ‘far-fetched’.
The DMK, though, has rejected Ravi’s clarification on ‘Tamizhagam’ and claimed that his intention was to project it as a divisive party.
A draft resolution, hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘father of the nation’, lauding him for the Kashi Tamil Sangamam. It is however, not immediately clear, if it was adopted with the same wordings. (PTI)