Chennai: Hitting out at the DMK of doing politics on the coronavirus pandemic issue, Tamilnadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today said the virus was not brought by the poor but imported by the rich from foreign countries.
Talking to reporters at the State Secetariat after reviewing the steps taken to spread the coronavirus pandemic with district Collectors through video-conferencing, he accused the DMK of indulging in deliberate false campaigning against the government, which has taken effective steps to tackle the corona pandemic.
Asserting that the State government has sought necessary relief and assistance from the Centre, the Chief Minister said the DMK was trying to stall the steps taken by the government to prevent the COVID-19 spread.
He also sought to know what did the DMK, which has more MPs in Lok Sabha and its allies, do for the State during the coronavirus.
Stating that the DMK has not sought any assistance from the Centre to tide over the corona situation in the state, Palaniswami regretted that the DMK always has the habit of doing politics on crucial situations and were now doing politics with COVID-19.
Even during natural calamities like cyclone and floods the DMK had politicised it, he added. “The DMK is doing politics even in disease. No where in India one can see such an Opposition party…but it is unfortunate that the
situation is like this in Tamilnadu”, the Chief Minister said.
Unlike other States where there was political unity in the face of adversity, “only in Tamilnadu, there are parties that do not cooperate with the government even during these times,” he said.
Reiterating that the coronavirus was ‘imported’ from other States and foreign countries by rich people who travelled abroad, he said it was not brought by the poor people.
Asserting that the number of cases would come down in the State in the next two to three days due to the effective steps taken by the government, he said the number of people cured from the disease would also increase and there would be a situation when Tamilnadu would have zero case and be free from corona.
On the relaxations announced by the Centre after 20 April, the Chief Ministers said a committed headed by the Finance Secretary would review the situation and submit a report to the government.
Stating that 99 per cent of the rice cardholders were given a special assistance of Rs 1,000 in view of the lockdown, Palaniswami said none of them in the State were suffering from hunger and all migrant workers were provided with all facilities, including food and shelter.
Refuting as false, the Opposition charge that the veggie prices in the State had gone up in view of the lockdown, he said the government has been supplying vegetables across the state including in hilly and remote villages and that the prices were very low and well within the limits.
He also said 100-day works under the MGNREGS scheme would start from 20 April thereby increasing job opportunities in the State.