At a time when the Wuhan Virus cases that is getting reported in the state has been showing signs of flattening, the Tamil Nadu government to prevent its spread in villages ordered for the cancellation of gram sabha meeting to be held on Gandhi Jayanti.
However, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in many places flouted the government’s order with the party chief MK Stalin, DMK MP Kanimozhi, the party’s general secretary Duraimurugan and other MPs, MLAs, and office bearers holding gram sabha meetings at various places.
In many places, people turned up in very few numbers with empty chairs strewn around. In order to ensure that the chairs are filled, the DMK resorted to enticing poor people with money to turn up to these gram sabha meetings. One of the DMK MLAs was caught distributing cash to women members in Aruppukotai region.
DMK President MK Stalin held a gram sabha meeting at his constituency – Korattur. During his speech the DMK chief mentioned that back when Dr. M.G.R was Chief Minister of the state, farmers had protested to reduce electricity tariff by ‘1 paisa’. He went on to say that police had resorted to firing at the protestors that resulted in the death of 3 farmers.
The truth is that the farmer protests against the hike of electricity tariff by 1 paisa did happen. But it happened in June 1970 in Coimbatore district when the DMK was in power. Three farmers – Ramaswamy, Marappan and Aai were killed in the police firing. M. Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister from February 10, 1969 to January 5, 1971.
However, netizens were quick enough to point out the blatant lie peddled by the DMK chief thanks to internet.
The AIADMK launched a scathing attack on the DMK and its leader Stalin for putting people’s life at risk and also for using the opportunity to mislead people by spreading lies.
Speaking on the matter, AIADMK spokesperson Mr. Kovai Sathyan said that the gram sabha meeting held by the DMK was not just a nefarious attempt to spread the pandemic among people so that they can play politics over it but is also being used for spreading lies among the people at the grassroots. He said that the DMK’s ploy to use the gram sabha to spread lies came out in the open with the party chief’s statements about MGR rule adding that it was an attempt to whitewash the brutal crimes committed by the DMK regime.
Mr. Sathyan mentioned that the DMK’s desperate attempt to woo people and turn them against the government will not work. He also said that the low turnout of these gram sabha proceedings showed the amount of trust that the people have in DMK and its leadership adding that this is just a feeler of what is going to happen in 2021 Assembly elections.