DMK never talks truth about Katchatheevu, slams Nirmala Sitharaman

TIRUCHY: DMK never talks the truth about Katchatheevu, but the party was aware and supported while handing over the islet to Sri Lanka due to which the traditional fishermen have been undergoing untold sufferings, said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Friday.

Campaigning for Thanjavur BJP candidate Karuppu M Muruganandam at Thanjavur Mela Veedhi, Nirmala said, there should be a change in Tamil Nadu and the BJP leaders have been touring across the state to ensure a change in the mind of the people after hearing the facts. “We have been speaking the truth because the DMK has been spreading lies and it is our duty to disprove their lies,” she said.

Stating that the Katchatheevu issue is a long-standing problem for the Tamil Nadu fishermen, the Union Minister said, the DMK also owes responsibility for handing over the islet to Sri Lanka. “It is everyone’s duty to explain the truth to the people and ask them to question DMK,” she said.

Nirmala pointed out that the Katchatheevu issue was not only raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also by the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the Assembly. “Not only now, there was no answer from DMK even earlier and the DMK had never told the truth about the issue at anytime,” the Union Minister said.

Listing out the charges against the DMK and the first family, Nirmala said that the first family had earned around Rs 30,000 crore and this was disclosed by one of their cabinet colleagues. “But the family had not given any reply to this, but changed the portfolio of the Minister and sidelined him,” she said.

“Instead of redeeming the state from the hands of liquor, the DMK has been involved in drug distribution and Chief Minister MK Stalin never talks about it nor Minister Udhayanidhi,” she slammed.

Flays CM Stalin’s ‘migratory bird’ jibe on PM

Earlier, at Hosur, the Union Minister took exception to CM Stalin’s “migratory bird” jibe made at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent visits to the state, saying the very usage was not proper. “The Chief Minister says the PM is coming to Tamil Nadu like a migratory bird. Anyone can travel anywhere in the country. The very usage is wrong... CM is in such a situation that he makes remarks like these,” she said addressing an election meeting in support of party’s Krishnagiri nominee for the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, C Narasimhan here.