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NT Bureau
Chennai, May 17:
 

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi along with DPA leaders at a public meeting on 'Sethusamudaram Canal Project and Ram Sethu', organised by the Sethusamudaram Project Protection Committee, in Chennai yesterday.

        Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, while recalling that the bridge built between Kulithurai and Musiri during DMK's regime in 1967 made trading activity flourish, has said the Sethusamudaram Canal Project (SSCP) will yield economic benefits to Tamilnadu and the country as well.

        Speaking at a public meeting on 'Sethusamudaram Canal Project and Ram Sethu', organised by the Sethusamudaram Project Protection Committee, here yesterday, the Chief Minister said SSCP would make the country a super power and branded those opposing the project as anti-nationals.

        'Those who oppose the SSCP could not tolerate the credit going to the DMK for implementing the project', he said and read out the AIADMK's election manifesto in 2001 that favoured the demolition of Ram Sethu for the project.

        He also said some political parties in the State were trying to sabotage the project in the name of Rama.

        The Chief Minister demanded that similar meetings should have to be conducted throughout the State and that the alliance parties should actively support those meetings.

        He said the present alignment for the canal was recommended by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) which would be environmentally safe and not affect the marine species.

        Tamilnadu Congress Committee president M Krishnasswamy, Pattali Makkal Katchi president G K Mani, State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) N Varadarajan, Communist Party of India's State secretary D Pandiyan, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal leader Thol Thirumavalavan also spoke on the occasion.