Tungsten project row: DMK govt didn't oppose amendment to Mining Act, says EPS

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Tuesday slammed the DMK government for attempting to defame the AIADMK to deflect from its own failures and mismanagement over the tungsten mining project in Madurai district.

The AIADMK general secretary charged that the DMK is trying to blame the AIADMK for their inability to act promptly to stop the tender process for the mining project.

When the DMK government wrote to the Centre urging it not to take away the State government's rights to issue tenders for mining, it did not oppose the Union government amendment to the Mines and Minerals Act, said the AIADMK leader after coming out of the State Assembly on Tuesday.

Palaniswami also defended AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP Thambidurai, who reportedly raised concerns about the monopolisation of mining activities under the Congress-led UPA government. Palaniswami added that the AIADMK leader only advocated auctioning mining rights to generate revenue for the State.

Hours after the State Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on Monday demanding the Union Government to reverse its decision over the project, the issue intensified after a video showed Thambidurai voting in support of a bill related to tungsten mining in Parliament.

This video went viral, especially after Chief Minister MK Stalin tweeted about it, accusing the AIADMK of playing a double game by supporting the bill in Delhi and then staging a drama in Tamil Nadu. However, Palaniswami rebutted it, saying it was a campaign to defame the AIADMK and distract the ruling party's shortcomings on such critical issues.