DMK petitions Governor on Ockhi

A DMK delegation led by its working president M K Stalin on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the Governor at the Raj Bhavan in this regard. Appealing to the Governor to invoke Constitutional means to urge the Centre for immediate deployment of naval helicopters and ships in full scale for a massive rescue operation in deep sea to trace missing Kanyakumari fishermen, Stalin, in his memorandum, said the present state government has “betrayed the hopes of the people and abdicated its constitutional duty and democratic responsibility to protect the people.” Accusing Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government of failing to give due importance to the search and rescue operations for the missing fishermen from the state in the aftermath of the cyclone that hit Kanyakumari on November 30, Stalin referred to the contradictory statements of the CM, deputy CM O Panneerselvam and senior bureaucrats and said that it was very clear now that the state government has no true account of either the missing fishermen or the stranded fishermen.

The state administration has “grossly failed” to wake up and quickly respond to the emerging situation, it alleged, pressing for Union minister’s intervention to help trace the missing fishermen quickly within a time-frame in coordination with state agencies. “There is a complete breakdown in day-to-day business of the government, resulting in untold sorrow and sufferings to the people,” the memorandum said.