Portrait Politics: PMK MP Anbumani threatens to take legal route

“She was declared a convict by the court in the Disproportionate Assets case. Her portrait should not be opened in the Assembly. If needed, PMK will approach the court to stop this,” he told the reporters here. 

Urging the state to convene an all-party meet to pressurise Karnataka and the Union governments to release water to save standing crops in delta districts, the former union minister said that Karnataka has enough water in its dams for release.  “It should release at least 10 TMC to Tamil Nadu. There is no water in Mettur dam and Cauvery is running dry,” he said. On corruption in universities, Anbumani said that a CBI probe should be conducted on the issue in universities for over the last 15 years.  

“Corruption is prevalent in all universities in Tamil Nadu. For appointments as Vice Chancellor, a bribe amount of Rs 10 crore to Rs 35 crore is sought. So they too will demand money for recruitments,” he said. Stating that government should present the budget only after proving its majority in the Assembly, the former union minister said that a separate budget should be prepared and submitted for the farm sector. Later the PMK leader S Ramadoss released a shadow budget for farming sector in Tamil Nadu. 

“A separate budget should be submitted for farming in Tamil Nadu. Ten years ago, agriculture growth in India, which stood at four percent is now going in minus,” he said. Irrigation projects here have failed and farm area has shrunk due to non-implementation of farmer oriented projects. The PMK, in its shadow budget has promised to spend one lakh crore in four years towards improving water irrigation projects, implement Avinashi-Athikadavu scheme, special projects to save water. The shadow budget also resolves to generate 30 lakh employments, closure of sand quarries and prevent anti-farmer projects implemented by the Union government.