Nation has not seen worse central govt, says Jayalalithaa

Coming down heavily on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre, AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa Sunday said the nation has not seen such a worst government. 

Addressing an election rally in Kallakurichi, about 250 km from the state capital Chennai, Jayalalithaa said: ‘It is difficult to list out the problems faced by the people under the Congress-led UPA government. Price rise, rupee depreciation, hike in oil prices, reduction in agricultural produce and corruption.’ 

According to her, one can say the nation has not seen such a worst government. 

‘As result of anti-poor and middle class policies, the country’s economy has come to a standstill,’ she remarked. 

She said the time has come for the people to free themselves from such a draconian rule. ‘Using this chance you should vote for AIADMK that is working for the welfare of Tamil Nadu.’ 

She also listed out various welfare measures and freebie schemes implemented by her government in the state and also in the Kallakurichi constituency. 

According to Jayalalithaa, the predominant issue in Tamil Nadu is the repeated arrest of its fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. She said this can be stopped only when there is a strong central government. 

Accusing DMK president M. Karunanidhi of trying to hoodwink the people, Jayalalithaa said the party was in power at the centre for nine years but it did not do anything to control the rising prices of essential items. 

Referring to DMK’s poll promise of reviewing the oil pricing policy, she said the party supported the central government and did not oppose the centre’s decision to allow oil marketing companies to fix oil prices. 

She said the centre had betrayed the interests of the state by reducing the kerosene allocation distributed through ration shops, not giving licence to the state government to run cable television operations and not setting up the Cauvery River Management Board to oversee sharing of Cauvery river waters between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, besides others.

The eminent group urged such parties not to play with and not make irresponsible pronouncements about the sovereignty of the nation, including key and cherished territorial issues. 

Targeting AAP, they said parties that have failed in offering even a semblance of good governance are pushing the principal issue of a corruption-free administration-an essential element of good governance-to the periphery. 

The statement said the design of such parties was to promote cynicism in the public sphere, hamper the process of voter education, and create a space for themselves in the mass media. 

‘Ironically-or perhaps tellingly-these calculations can only benefit the Congress as it fights what would appear to be an impossible election,’ they said. 

Noting that the entire nation was awaiting change, they said yearning for development, good governance besides social and economic justice has reached a crescendo. 

‘In this situation, such attempts of new outfits and political platforms are hampering the cause of democracy, aspirations of the people and above all the national interest,’ the statement said, adding ‘rank opportunism and self-confessed anarchism’ masquerading as a coherent political doctrine should not be allowed.