BJP conspiring to block welfare schemes through freebies case: DMK

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK has accused the BJP-led Union government of trying to block public welfare schemes by securing a favourable verdict in the freebies case.

Drawing a distinction between freebies and welfare schemes, an editorial titled “Not freebies, but public welfare” published in the Monday’s edition of the DMK party organ ‘Murasoli’, said the political conspiracy of the BJP to stall several public welfare schemes by securing a favourable verdict in the important freebies case is hidden in the issue.

“BJP did not file a case questioning the tax concessions offered to the corporate sector? BJP did not file a petition challenging the multi-crore loan waiver offered by banks? Instead, a BJP functionary has filed a case against the support offered to the poor and marginalised and made it into a major issue in the country,” the Murasoli editorial read.

Recalling a recent public speech of Chief Minister M K Stalin who differentiated between freebies and welfare schemes, the DMK party mouthpiece referred to the impleading petition filed by the party in the freebies case pending before the Supreme Court and said, “Tamil Nadu does not have hunger deaths because rice is provided for free in the state. Social participation of women has increased owing to free bus travel for them. It’s (free bus travel) will be known in a few years.”

Quoting the petition filed by DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi in the freebies case in the apex court, the DMK said, “The Union government provides several tax concessions to foreign companies. Loans of influential corporate honchos are waived. All these things should be factored in. No scheme can be banned by calling it a freebie. The court should decide based on the benefits a scheme has on the lowest strata of the society.”

Borrowing the words of its deceased president M Karunanidhi who once famously said that a cement road was laid for a temple car procession in Tiruvarur. “The temple car runs for only four or five days. The road is used by the people in the remaining 300 and odd days. That way, every scheme is designed by keeping the people in mind,” concluded the editorial in the inimitable style of Karunanidhi.