Stalin launches people's movement for clean cities

CHENNAI: On the occasion of the 99th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday launched a people's movement for clean cities.

Under the movement, cleanliness drives and awareness programmes will be undertaken in cities with public participation including NGOs, resident welfare associations, national green corps, school and college students.

The cleanliness drives and awareness programmes will be undertaken in 21 Corporations, 138 Municipalities and 490 town panchayats on second and fourth Saturdays.

While inaugurating the movement, Stalin met the public and handed over pamphlets stressing on cleanliness and asked people to maintain their surroundings clean. The Chief Minister along with Ministers, MPs and MLAs took out an awareness rally with placards containing messages on importance of cleanliness in Royapuram.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister garlanded the newly inaugurated statue of Karunanidhi in Omandurar Hospital and paid respect to his portrait kept below the statue. Special arrangements were made to shower flowers from drones above the state.

He also visited the Anna and Kalaignar memorial in Marina beach and paid respect to the leaders. He then visited the Gopalapuram house where Karunanidhi lived and paid respect to him. He also visited the house of DMK MP Kanimozhi in CIT Colony and Murasoli office and paid respect to the former Chief Minister.

"Kalaignar was a revolutionist. Took the entire government machinery on the lines of social justice. A rationalist who with his Dravidian ideology inspired people of Tamil Nadu. In another one year he will become a centenarian,” said Stalin, in a tweet.

Then, Stalin went to the house of Aroordas in T Nagar and handed over him the 'Kalaignar Kalaithurai Vithagar Award'. Then in a function held at the Secretariat, Stalin gave 'Kalaignar Ezhuthukol Award' to veteran journalist I Shanmuganathan and handed over house pattas to six Tamil scholars who had grabbed various literary awards.

Meanwhile, Chepauk-Triplicane MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the Chennai Flower Show organised by the Horticulture department, in Kalaivanar Arangam, in the presence of Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam and Health Minister Ma Subramanian.

Stalin takes a dig at BJP:

Later in the day, Stalin, in a function organised by the State Minorities Commission, made a veiled attack on BJP. He said that the State government which runs on Dravidian model does not demolish, discriminate or divide people.

"Dravidian model does not demolish! it is constructed! Dravidian model does not destroy! it recreates! Dravidian model does not divide people! it unites! Dravidian model does not lower anyone! it treats everyone equal! Dravidian model does not exclude any one! it will embrace!,” said Stalin, while speaking high of Dravidian model.

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