No, TN Is Not The First State To Have Climate Change Mission/Plan, YouTube Beautician-Turned-DMK Cadre Padma Priya Peddles Half-Truths

Controversial self-styled ‘environmental activist’ and former Makkal Needhi Maiam candidate, Padma Priya, has recently come under fire for spreading misinformation about Tamil Nadu’s environmental policies. In a recent tweet, she claimed that Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to establish a Climate Change Mission, despite the fact that it was established by the Central Government in 2008 and conveniently forgot the fact that Karnataka had already presented a draft version of their State Action Plan on Climate Change in 2021.

 

Gujarat is the first state in India and in entire Asia to form separate Department for Climate Change. It was formed when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2009. 

This is not the first time that Ms. Padma Priya has been accused of spreading false information. In 2020, she gained notoriety for her monologue against the draft Environmental Impact Assessment, where she made baseless claims about the consequences of the policy. Around this time, she also released a video demanding the release of Perarivalan, a convicted terrorist responsible for killing former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, indicating her loyalties and intent.

Ms. Padma Priya recently switched to the DMK party, where she continues to spread misinformation. However, it seems that the DMK party as a whole has a habit of “sticker-ing” its name onto policies proposed by the Central government. For example, during the recent Ukraine crisis, the DMK claimed credit for rescuing Tamil students, although Operation Ganga launched by the Central government ensured the safe return of all Indian students, including those from Bangladesh and Pakistan.

In another instance, the DMK government took credit for the construction of 11 medical colleges that were built during the previous AIADMK rule and even inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in January 2022.

It appears that the DMK party and its functionaries have a tendency to claim ownership of policies and projects proposed by the Central government.

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