Chennai, Aug 18:
DMK leader and former minister EV Velu on Tuesday criticised the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to name the Chief Minister’s breakfast scheme after former Chief Minister Kamarajar.
Speaking during the debate on the demands for grants in the Assembly, Velu questioned the need to replace the reference to the “Chief Minister” with Kamarajar’s name.
He said he had raised the issue when the scheme was originally introduced and asked why it could not be named the M.K. Stalin Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme. According to Velu, then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had explained that using the generic term “Chief Minister” would ensure that the scheme referred to successive Chief Ministers rather than an individual.
Velu said naming a new scheme after Kamarajar would have been welcome, but questioned the need to rename the existing breakfast scheme.
Velu also questioned the government over the delay in opening the Periyar Library in Coimbatore, alleging that the project had remained pending for three months.
He said the DMK had established statues and memorials for freedom fighters and highlighted the party’s association with Periyar’s principles. He also pointed out that while the TVK was claiming Periyar as an ideological leader, there was no Periyar statue at the DMK headquarters, whereas the party office had one.
Velu urged the government to open the Coimbatore Periyar Library.
His remarks on the breakfast scheme, however, drew an intervention from Assembly Leader Sengottaiyan, who questioned why the discussion had moved away from the demands for grants. The Speaker subsequently directed members to confine their speeches to the subject under discussion.