Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 4 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai on Tuesday lashed out at the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over his remarks regarding social justice.
The state BJP chief pointed out that the DMK government had objected to the reservation for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
Taking to Twitter, Annamalai said, "TN CM has chosen to close his eyes and say the world is dark. That's how his attempt to project social justice federation and the speech that he gave yesterday reflected. He doesn't want the EWS reservation, which Aringar Anna, his ideological mentor, wanted back in 1967."
The state BJP chief said that the Tamil Nadu CM should "learn" from the BJP, which has hiked the SC and ST reservation in the state of Karnataka.
"Thiru @mkstalin should understand that the BJP govt in our neighbouring state Karnataka has demonstrated social justice by hiking the reservation for SC from 15 per cent to 17 per cent for ST from 3 per cent to 7 per cent and not through pointless video conferences," he said.
He further said, "The Communist government in Kerala implemented EWS, the Congress government in Rajasthan and JD(U) government in Bihar too. RJD, in alliance with JD(U) in Bihar, communist leaders and Rajasthan CM, were in this federation, echoing against EWS, which is nothing but a joke".
Attacking the Tamil Nadu government further, Annamalai pointed out the amounts allocated for SC/ST have remained "unspent".
"Has Thiru @mkstalin forgotten the miseries of his governance and its impact on Social Justice? - Where are the 3.5 lakh jobs promised in the government sector?- Why were more than 12,884 Crores left unspent by the TN govt in SC Subplan in the last 2 years?" he said.
He further added, "More than 10,000 jobs for SC / ST in State government departments remain vacant for over 2 years now. When do you plan to fill those? - 13 out of 33 schemes for SC / ST remained unfulfilled by your govt last year. Did you discuss why?".
The BJP leader also alleged that people from the SC community are "tormented" by the DMK functionaries.
He said, "SC brothers and sisters are tormented by DMK functionaries & aren't allowed their basic fundamental rights.- It's been more than three months since human faeces was mixed with drinking water, affecting the people of Vengaivayal. When will you wake from deep slumber?"
"Did your ideological mentor, K Veeram, who attended the conference at least pay a visit to Vengaivayal? What social justice are we preaching here?" Annamalai added in a subsequent tweet.
Annamalai's remarks come a day after Stalin at the National Conference of All India Federation said that the struggle for the attainment of social justice is not an issue of a single state.
Addressing the conference, the chief minister said, "The struggle for the attainment of social justice is not an issue of a single state. It is not an issue of a set of a few states. It is an issue concerning all states and it is associated with the structure of Indian society".
"There might be differences in the degree of problems along caste and class lines in each state. But the core of the issue is the same. That is gross discrimination!" he added.
Stalin said that social justice is only medicine that can cure the 'posion' of discrimination, exclusion, untouchability, slavery and injustice.
He further said, "There might be differences in the degree of problems, all on class and caste lines in each state. But the core of the issue is the same - gross discrimination. Wherever there is discrimination, exclusion, untouchability, slavery, or injustice, the medicine that can cure these poisons is social justice."
"We should raise our voice to establish the principles of Federalism, State Autonomy, Secularism, Equality, Fraternity, Socialism and Social Justice all over India. It should not be a lone voice. It should not be different individual voices either. It shall be a collective voice in unison," he added.
Stalin further said that however idealistic an ideology may be, for it to succeed, the unity among the parties which have accepted the ideology is of great importance.
"Such a unity is not enough if it is in only a few states. It has to happen in every state. It has to be for the whole of India. It is for that unity, federations like this will serve as the foundation," Stalin added.
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